Purgatory
by Itaweasel-hime
Summary: Sakura decides to stop Sasuke herself, by killing him. What happens when he ends up killing her, and she finds Itachi in the afterlife? Rated M for character death, and now lemon.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, otherwise, Itachi would never have died.**

Sakura's bright pink hair billowed behind her as she ran through the treetops, jumping from branch to branch. If she stopped for even fifteen minutes, her perusers would catch up and try to stop her. By the tome she found him, her chakra was going to be dangerously low, but she needed to do this at all costs. Nothing was going to stop her, she couldn't let anyone else do this, because she loved him. She was going to kill Sasuke.

Danzo had finally listed Uchiha Sasuke in the bingo books, and the ANBU were let loose to hunt him down. When they found him, they would kill him in the most merciless ways possible, and then leave him to the buzzards afterwards. there was no way she was going to let that happen to him, no- he was going to die honorably, and by her hand. She might die trying, she knew she was no match for him, but as long as she succeeded, it wouldn't matter.

In her haste, a branch scraped against her bare arm, drawing blood. This was good, it let her concentrate less on having to kill Sasuke, and more on the pain. She didn't want to kill the one person she had ever loved, but there was nothing else to do, this case was hopeless. He wouldn't understand, and he would never forgive her, but it was better to kill him than to leave him to the ANBU. She was doing this because she loved him, Sakura had to tell herself.

If she failed, there would be more people who would never forgive her. If Sasuke ended up surviving, and killing her instead, she could only imagine what they would think. Naruto, Kakashi, Ino, Sai- they were her closest friends. After defending Konoha from Pein, everyone had lost so much, and she would be taking even more from them. She couldn't fail them, she had to survive, and she had to kill him, no matter how much her heart screamed for her to run in the opposite direction. He had to be stopped, by all means.

It took all day and night to catch up to him. Sasuke and his team had rested the whole night, and their chakra was full. Sasuke was up, he was comfortably resting up against a tree trunk, his arms lazily crossed against his chest. The red head girl from before was no where to be seen, but both the shark and bulky ones were sleeping in the branches. Though she couldn't see them, she could sense their chakra signatures nearby.

Their eyes met, and he _knew_ why she was there, she could tell immediately. The last time she had seen him was at Orochimaru's hideout; she remembered the cold, disdainful look he had given her and Naruto. He was well into the dark now, with no chance of returning. Sasuke had changed from the boy she had loved as a genin; that Sasuke was gone, he didn't exist anymore. She had to keep telling herself that the boy she loved was dead to her, or she was never going to be able to go through with killing him.

"Sakura." He called, making no effort whatsoever to do anything more than that. It was clear to her that she was no longer important, that she was just as weak as she had been during their genin years. Weak and insignificant, that was what she was to him, what she had always been. All the better, if he didn't care for her, then it would be easier to kill him. Maybe he knew that too.

"Sasuke-kun." She answered, willing that her voice not fail her, not now, when she needed to be stronger than ever before. To her, it sounded weak, like she had choked on his name, but he heard the strength she has been trying to feign. He could hear the tears begging to break through her calm facade. She would always be the same for him, Sakura would always change back into the teary little girl for him, even now, when she had sent herself to kill him.

"Danzo told me someone would be coming for me," he drawled, "right before I killed him."

All was silent after this comment, the only thing she could here was the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees surrounding the little clearing she stood in. Sakura wis in utter shock, unable to believe that Sasuke had killed the sixth hokage, and that he had lived to tell the tale. Was he really that powerful? She knew as much as him that she wasn't going to live through this, her only chance was to drag him down with her.

"To think that they sent a pathetic kunoichi like _you_ to kill me. You konoha nin are pitiful." Sasuke spat, his obsidian eyes bleeding into the crimson of his sharingan. The fact that he would look at her with such hate hurt, like an invisible kunai being thrust into her chest and then being twisted agonizingly. That look could have been enough to send her to her knees and beg for her life. She refused to grovel at his feet, to show him how pathetic she really could be. She would fight him, even if it was pointless. She would fight for Naruto, Kakashi, and him. He may not have deserved it, but she would fight for Sasuke, because the man who sat before was not him.

Sasuke had always been cold, perhaps aloof, but the blood-lusting man before her wasn't Sasuke. Sasuke was careful, caring and quiet, calm, strong and smart. Now the only thing left of the old Sasuke was his strength. His chakra signature was different, it was erratic and searching for someone to kill, she could just feel it. He lived to kill, just like Gaara had been in the chunin exams. More than anything, he was lost, lonely, and in need of someone to love him. Sakura wished she could be that for him, but her duty came first, he had to die.

"You're still weak. You'll always be too weak." He said, slowly getting to his feet. She glared at him bravely, which he quickly returned, his sharingan spinning dangerously.

"You don't know anything about me." Sakura replied angrily, determined to not weaken herself for him, she wouldn't let her emotions for him get the best of her again, not when she had gotten so far. She had become a medic just to save him, and she was probably the strongest medic in konoha, now that Shizune and Tsunade were gone. She could crush the earth beneath her, and rip trees out with her bare hands. How could he call her weak? She couldn't begin to describe her fury.

Before she could stop him, he disappeared from where he stood, appearing behind her once more. He stood so closely to her that she could feel his warmth radiating off him, could feel his breath fanning the back of her neck. Sakura clenched her fists, preparing to give him a much deserved punch to the face. It was terrifying, how familiar this situation was, it was just like the night he left, the night she had offered him her heart, and he had crushed it in his capable hands.

"You haven't changed at all." He whispered, running a finger down her spine, and then back up again. She gasped, unable to do anything to stop him. He saw this weakness, and knowing she was incapable of stopping him, he snaked his arms around to grope her. Again she gasped, not knowing how to stop him from moving his hands in violent circles about her breasts. It was degrading and harsh, but she loved it. And she hated herself for it.

"So weak." Sasuke purred, trailing his tongue up her neck as she let out a pleasing groan. She shuddered against him, her feelings overwhelming her, as they always seemed to.

"Always letting your guard down." He chuckled, retrieving his hand to pull out a kunai. Her instincts kicked in just in time for her to jump away from his attack, which had intended to slash up her back. She turned to face him, cursing herself for letting him get control of her so easily. He was right, she hadn't changed at all.

She pumped chakra through her arms and to her hands, preparing herself to destroy him. Sakura would wait for him to attack her first, the best offense was a defense, just as Tsunade had taught her all those years ago. Sasuke gave her his infamous smirk, unsheathing his katana. He wouldn't give her any mercy, but she still had to try, for who he used to be. She couldn't allow this monster to take anymore control of him than it already had.

He charged in a speed she could hardly have time to react to, his smirk still planted on his aristocratic features. Sakura jumped to the side only just in time to escape his katana, almost losing her balance. Sasuke turned and attacked again, and Sakura could do nothing but pull out a kunai to block his katana. He was ruthless, attacking her again and again, not giving her a chance to do more than stand and block.

She had used too much chakra finding him, and then he had gotten through her defenses so easily, with just a touch. These two factors had weakened her drastically, not that she had much of a chance in the first place. He was stronger than Danzo, Orochimaru, even _Itachi_, and his chakra reserves were full. She was hungry and tired, him well rested and fed. Why had she been so dense? This was a fool's errand, and she could never defeat him.

Her actions slowed even more, and his attacks began to break through to her. Sakura recieved cut after cut, her body being too worn to keep up with his inhuman speeds. Blood trickled down her arms and legs, and her chakra was too far gone for Sakura to heal herself. She hadn't even landed one hit on him yet.

Frantic now, she didn't bother to dodge his attacks and charged for him, her fists full with the last of her chakra. She lunged again and again, but he always backed out of the way before she could get close enough to him. It was like he was teasing her, the way he jumped here and there in an unreadable pattern; it seemed that at least one of his old habits had lasted. She couldn't help but to wonder if he still spoke Uchiha-nese on a regular basis.

Sakura shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the random thoughts of who Sasuke used to be, when he had been the boy she loved. That boy was already dead, Sakura thought, rushing into another attack, which was rendered useless. She continued to attack him, but every time she tried, he jumped out of the way. Eventually she fell to her knees, out of breath and covered in sweat. She had lost, and this time it would cost her life. Sakura could only hope she died of chakra depletion before he finished toying with her, or that he ended it quickly.

Sasuke casually circled around her, amused by how long it had taken to defeat her. She was panting, while he had never even broken a sweat. He had always known she was a pathetic excuse of a kunoichi, but for her to be this weak was just sad. He had been expecting something better from the apprentice of the fifth hokage. He supposed that she was a little better than her time as a genin, but no more than that. Sasuke was a little surprised that she was considered a chunin rank; the leaf village must have relaxed after he left.

She watched as Sasuke made another round about her, like she were prey to the predator. Sakura longed for him to finish his teasing, she was humiliated enough as it was. He never said anything, but he only ever needed his eyes to make fun of her, she could practically see the laughter in their dark depths.

Sighing, he kneeled down in front of her, a bored expression on his face. He was tired of playing with her, it seemed, and perhaps he would be generous to end it quickly. For a minute, they just stared into each other's eyes, waiting for something to happen. He saw her begging, longing for him to kill her and be done with it. He had no objection to killing her, but she was going to suffer, for the ignorant assumption she had made in thinking she could defeat him. Sakura was going to regret ever having come to kill him, even when she was completely dead. He would send her to hell, where she would suffer for all of eternity.

"Beating like a drum." He muttered, placing a gentle hand over her heart. Sakura gulped, waiting endlessly for him to make the final blow. Had he decided to pity her, to let her go?

A moment later, a kunai was harshly thrust through her chest, and more precisely, through her heart. No, of course he would never be merciful for her. He was heartless, and she was just his demonstration to the world that he didn't care about the people in his past. He lived for the moment, and to kill anyone who got in his way.

Sakura coughed, spitting up blood. He smiled, his eyes narrowing into two dangerous slits. She lifted a hand to her mouth, coughing violently. Her blood ran from her mouth, to her hands, and then down her arms. It was too much, the blood loss was making her dizzy. It was too painful, too cruel. Just as she was about to fall over, the blood loss making her too weak to even sit, he grabbed her shoulder, keeping her upright. Their eyes met again, his being cold and unfeeling, hers desperate for escape, and for acknowledgment. She knew better than to get either from him, but she wanted it nonetheless.

She would have never expected him to do so, but a second later, he had pressed his lips to hers. Tears flowed down her face, and she responded wholeheartedly. He pushed for entrance, and she allowed it, so their tongues tangled together hungrily. He swallowed her metallic tasting blood and then pulled away, licking her lips clean.

"Even after I killed you, you still loved me. How pathetic." He murmured. He stood up, letting go of her shoulder, which caused her to slump onto the forest floor. How cruel, he had only kissed her in the end to torture her again. It hadn't meant anything to him, it had just been another way for him to toy with her, it was something she would be forced into remembering for the rest of eternity.

"Sayonara, Sakura." He said coldly, leaving the clearing. She watched as his teammates jumped down from the branches. The shark one snickered at her sad state, and the super-tall one did nothing but look down at her sadly. He must have known what Sasuke was becoming, and it looked like he didn't like it as much as she didn't.

She was alone now, her blood seeping into the ground. Not even a chirping bird could be heard, not even the wind in the trees. The tears still dribbling, she lay on her back and pulled out Sasuke's kunai. Sakura looked up at the sky, realizing that this would be the last time she would ever do so. Poor Naruto and Kakashi, it seemed that they were losing another member of team seven. She only hoped they would forgive her, and forgive themselves for not being able to stop her.

She was such a fool for loving the one person that could never love her back, could never return her feelings. He was the one person who had ever reduced her to nothing like this, had ever gotten so close to her like this. Sasuke would be her first, and last, love. Part of her wished that she had forgotten about him and gone with Naruto instead, but she would have only regretted in the future. He was her brother, and nothing more.

Sakura smiled sadly, wondering what would become of Sasuke, as she slowly closed her eyes. Everything around her started to fade; the smell of her blood and of the grass she lay in wasn't so potent, and her ears rang from the silence. It wasn't so terrifying like she thought it would be, dying was rather peaceful. There wasn't anymore pain, everything was numbed, as if she was disconnected from her body. Then everything was gone, it was just her and the nothingness.

...

Sakura was both dizzy and confused when she opened her eyes, finding herself lying in a futon, in an unfamiliar room. She wondered if someone had miraculously saved her from her fatal wound, of if _this_ was the afterlife. She had been expecting fire and brimstone, not silky sheets and polished wood floors. She sat up slowly, and took a careful look about the room. There was a desk, a closet, then a small table with cushions around it. Besides this, the room was plain, because the walls were bare, and there was no window to be seen.

When she stood, Sakura found that she was in nothing but a sleeping kimono. It would be better if she found something more appropriate to wear first, but Sakura wanted to know where she was before anything else. Silently, she slipped through the sliding door and into the hallway. There wasn't any other doors, so she quietly walked down the hall, listening for anything that would indicate someone was coming. It was eerily silent though, and so she crept all the way to a turn. Sakura poked her head out around the corner, and once she was sure nobody was there, she continued down the next hall.

She repeated this several times without hearing a sound, or sensing a person nearby. Sakura did pass by several doors, but she couldn't sense anyone inside, so she didn't investigate them further. After passing hall after hall, she began to think she would never figure out where she was, and considered that she may have been going in circles. Every hall looked the same, so it was reasonable to think that she may have been lost. Sakura was about to give up on ever finding her way, when she heard a voice.

Instinctively, she hugged the wall and continued in like that, listening to the stranger's voice. Whoever he was, he was singing to a song she vaguely recognized. He wasn't a wonderful singer, but he stayed in tune, which was more than what she could do. As she snuck closed still, she could begin to hear the CD player he was singing along to, and smiled to the familiar words.

"_So what if you can see the darker side of me?"_

She slid against the wall and turned to another hallway.

"_No one will ever change this animal I have become."_

There was a door, and from it she could see light peeking through.

"_And we believe, this is the real me,"_

Slowly, she moved to the door to peek into the room.

"_Somebody help me tame this animal I have become."_

Sakura gasped at seeing through the sliding door. Him being there certainly proved one thing, she was dead after all, unless someone had brought him back to life, though she couldn't picture anyone wanting to do that. He was an S-class criminal, and a mass murderer. He was a menace that nobody would miss on Earth. So much for the 'someone miraculously healed our fatal wound' theory. For some reason, the fact that she was dead didn't scare her as much as the fact that Uchiha Itachi was in the other side of the door did.

The door slid open, as Sakura had given herself away from her gasp. It was hard to read his expression, his face showed both his mortification at being listened to while singing, and his shock at her being there. He was clad in only a towel, his raven hair wet and being brushed through, his hairbrush having the dual uses of a microphone and as something to tidy his hair with. She blushed at the sight of so much pale, muscular skin, and at the fact that she had heard him singing. Him being a mass murder was the last thing she wanted to think about, but it was one of the more important points that crossed her mind.

Itachi wanted to repeatedly hit his head against the bathroom sink, he couldn't recall ever being more irritated with his younger brother's density. Why had Sasuke needed to kill _her_ of all people? Now his seemingly perfect plan was utterly ruined, the kunoichi had gotten herself killed by his brother.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, he saw her face blanch, and then she ran off. He wasn't all that surprised, she didn't know that he was innocent, and that he had done everything for Sasuke. She thought he was more cold-hearted than Sasuke apparently had become. Sasuke must have completely lost all sanity if he had killed _the_ kunoichi. Itachi didn't want to think it, but based on her death, he could only guess what crimes he was pulling, and it might have been better if he had killed Sasuke in the beginning. It was too late to regret what he did now though, and he couldn't go and fix Sasuke's mistakes this time around.

Sakura dashed from the bathroom and continued down the hall, her fear making her forget her need for stealth. She ended up reaching the end of the hallway, and it opened up into a living room. There, she found Deidara and Karin fighting, and Danzo hiding in the corner, being antisocial. Orochimaru was sitting relatively comfortably, reading some sort of scroll. Danzo was the first to notice her being there.

"Haruno! As the sixth hokage-"

"Shut the hell up! Nobody cares if you were the sixth hokage!" Karin whined, turning from Deidara. She gasped in shock, surprised as much as Itachi had been in finding Sakura there. Karin had sought out Itachi after her death, to tell him of Sasuke, because she knew Sasuke would have wanted her to. Being dead, and no longer having a need for secrecy, he told her everything she wanted to know, including his plans for Sasuke's future. He had been perfectly honest with his reasoning, so it hadn't made her too angry. His intentions for the pink haired medic and Sasuke had been hard to listen to, but being dead, she was forced to accept it.

"He killed you?!" She shrieked. Sakura blinked, not understanding. Why would Sasuke's red headed teammate be dead, and how would she know that Sasuke had killed her? She looked around the room; Orochimaru... Deidara... Itachi... Danzo... They were all people Sasuke had killed. Had Sasuke killed his kunoichi teammate as well?

"He killed you?" She asked back, her tone quiet. Sasuke had gone too far, killing someone who trusted him with all of her entirety, who had no doubt, sacrificed everything for him. It was too cruel, the rest she wasn't too bothered by. Orochimaru, Deidara and Itachi had all been S-class criminals, and Danzo had been a scum bag desperate for power... But to kill her, it was too much.

"God, Itachi is going to be pissed." Karin muttered, shaking her head tiredly. She continued in telling Sakura, "Whatever you do, avoid Itachi. Seeing you here is going to put him in a really bad mood, and nobody wants to deal with a pissed off Uchiha."

"Too late for that, he already saw me. He just looked agrivated that I heard him singing." Sakura replied standoffishly, trying to pretend that a few moments before then, she hadn't been terrified for her well being. Besides that, why would her death piss off Itachi? She had met him once in her life, and it had been on opposite sides of a battlefield.

Deidara laughed at the idea of Itachi singing, while Karin paled. Suddenly, there was a crashing sound in the general direction of the kitchen, followed by a long string of profanities. It was silent after Itachi's short pissy-fit, and everyone was too terrified to check on the state of their abused kitchen.

Sakura turned to Karin, expecting a full explanation for what was going on, and why Itachi even cared if she was dead. Nothing was making sense to her, and she hoped (though rather doubted) that Karin would enlighten her on Itachi's mood swings, or whatever his problems were. Karin saw Sakura's determination, and though it would hurt her to tell the reasons behind everything, it would hurt Sakura even more when she knew her purpose in Itachi's plans. Sakura would want to fulfill her purpose, but she didn't have the chance now to do so. Karin had never really had a chance to begin with, but _she_ had.

"Itachi's plans were ruined because you're dead." Karin stated. Sakura blinked a few times, still not understanding. Itachi's plans being foiled _would_ make him angry, that much she could comprehend, but how she could be somehow involved in them didn't make sense. She waited, and Karin decided to continue.

"You and Sasuke were supposed to rebuild the Uchiha clan, according to his carefully made plans."

Sakura could say nothing. Itachi had been planing on her rebuilding the clan with his younger brother? Two things didn't add up at all. First: why would he want the Uchiha clan to be rebuilt. Second: How did he know about her feelings for Sasuke? She looked into Karin's bespectacled eyes, begging for answers. She gave in.

"I'm not sure how, but he knew that you would love Sasuke no matter what, and-"

"It could have been you, you loved Sasuke as much as I did."

"And Sasuke loved you back."

Again, silence passed between the two girls as Sakura's thoughts settled. Sasuke had loved her? If that were true, he would have never killed her. He could have knocked her out again, and left her on the forest floor in that manner. He had given her no chance of survival, he would have if he really had loved her. Then again, she had sent herself to kill him, but that had been for his own good.

It was at this moment that Itachi found it best to appear. Sakura, who had her back to the door, failed to notice this, so when he said, "There's tea," in a clipped tone, she almost jumped in surprise. She turned to look at him curiously, this time him being fully dressed.

"I think I'll change." Sakura said nervously, giving everyone an awkward smile. Honestly, she didn't plan on rejoining them for tea. Once she found her room again, she intended to barricade herself inside and think everything through. There wasn't any need for tea anyway, right? She was dead, so food and drinks should be pointless for her.

"Haruno-san, allow me to help you find your room. These halls can be confusing at first." Itachi said politely, just as Sakura had turned to leave. She stopped in her tracks and turned back to the room, and ultimately, Itachi. She looked at Karin for help, but only got a shrug in return. After receiving no help, she sighed in defeat and nodded her head in consent.

Sakura followed behind Itachi at a safe distance, being sure to not get too close. It was obvious that he had only nominated himself to help her find her room so that they could talk in private. Though this had to be the case, she followed him down the intricately connected halls in silence for five minutes. She had so much she wanted to ask him; he had a lot of explaining to do, but she felt he should be the first to speak.

Itachi noticed, with aggravation, how Sakura distanced herself from him, as if by any given moment, he was going to attack her. Karin had, without a doubt in his mind, already told her the basics of his plan, but he felt that he should tell her what should have been her future himself. He wasn't going to tell her something if she wasn't going to trust him, otherwise, she probably wouldn't trust a word he said. So he stayed quiet, until she had gotten more comfortable around him.

"I assume that Karin has already told you what I had initially intended for your future." He finally said, his tone dry. Sakura said nothing, her emotions too overwhelming for her to be able to trust her voice. He waited patiently for her to get control herself so that she could say something in response.

"Why would you want the Uchiha clan to be rebuilt?" Sakura asked softly. She honestly wanted to yell at him for deciding her future for her, like her emotions were unimportant to his brilliant plans, but he was right in assuming she would accept Sasuke despite his many faults, and his numerous crimes.

"One would think that much would be obvious." He stated. Sakura's face scrunched up in agitation. It was so unnatural that it was ridiculous. One day he kills his family, and the next he decides that the clan should be rebuilt. No, it didn't add up at all.

"Well, it's not."

Apparently, Karin hadn't told her _everything_ about what happened.

"I had my brother kill me so that he could have a chance at a good life." He said, with no explanation. She didn't say anything, she couldn't think of something appropriate to say in such an unusual situation.

"He was uninvolved at the time, and too young to understand. It wasn't his fault that I had to kill him."

Sakura glared at the floor as she continued walking. Itachi couldn't be serious, nobody _had_ to kill their entire family.

"You didn't have to kill them."

"Tell me, Haruno-san, why did Sasuke feel the need to kill you?" He asked calmly. He stopped in front of a door, but she made no move to open it.

"You don't understand. He did it because I was going after him; he was doing such terrible things, and he had to be stopped. I didn't want to do it-"

"Then we are no different. Years before I was accepted into the ANBU, the Uchiha clan began planning crimes that could effect those wholly unconnected with the clan. I knew of everything, being the clan heir, and I was expected to take part in executing these plans. I quickly came to understand that if these plans were put into action, it would start a fourth ninja war."

Sakura stared at Itachi in shock. What could have been so terrible that he would have had to kill his family just to stop them? Itachi saw her unspoken question in her eyes, and the surprise underneath that. This didn't come as a shock to Itachi, what he was telling her went against everything she had ever known.

"The Uchiha clan was planning to overthrow the hokage, believing that our clan should be in control of the village."

This was too much to process. She knew how the rest had gone. Itachi had been chosen to eliminate his clan because they trusted him; he was on the inside. He was certainly strong enough, being the youngest ANBU captain in konoha history. Itachi had been the obedient shinobi and killed everyone he loved, only to die for it. It was impossible to decide who was right and who was wrong, all she knew was that Itachi was innocent, and that Sasuke had killed him for nothing. All that trouble Sasuke had gone through, it had all been a waste. Running away to train under Orochimaru, suffering the sound nin, it had been pointless.

If Sasuke had known the truth form the beginning, he would never have needed to leave. She wouldn't be dead, Sasuke would live in konoha, and they could have had a real chance with each other. If Itachi had told the truth to begin with, she wouldn't be forever separated from Sasuke. It was all his fault.

"You blame me." He stated calmly, catching her as she began to fall to the floor. It had been too much for her to hear, and too soon. Itachi understand why she would find him to blame, if Sasuke had known everything from the start, she would have had a happy life.

"It it your choice wether you forgive me or not, but try to understand that I did not intend things to end as they have. Sasuke was supposed to return to konoha victorious and a hero, and then eventually, rebuild the clan with you."

Itachi watched with indifference as tears pooled into her emerald eyes. He had been expecting one of two different reactions: either she burst into tears, or she used some of her legendary strength to punch him through the wall. The tears spilled over and fell down her face. Itachi forced himself to watch as she sobbed; he deserved to see what he caused. He was such a terrible person, all he every caused was misery and pain.

"It really is my fault." Itachi said, his voice void of any emotions. She could say nothing, do nothing, but cry. He didn't know what to do, he wasn't used to dealing with crying girls. Itachi was unsure of wether or not he should try to comfort her, but that may only serve to make matters worse. Still not sure if it was the right thing to do, Itachi sighed, then picked her up. Using his foot, he opened the door and entered, only to lay her on the futon and leave. He walked back towards the others, trying to block out the sounds of her wails, no matter how much he of all people deserved to listen to her.

**AN: Wow, here's my first chappy, tell me what you guys think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This chapter has some mature humor (well, at least it's supposed to be funny) so be aware that this story is rated M. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, unfortunately. But you knew that.**

For a second time, Sakura woke up in the strange little room, lying in an unfamiliar futon. Her eyes stung, her throat was hoarse, and it felt like she had just ran a marathon. Sakura was so put out, that she was sure that she didn't sleep at all. There were no windows in her room, so there was no way for her to tell what time it was. An unexpected rumble sounded from her stomach, breaking up her thoughts. She shouldn't feel hunger, she was dead, and yet she did.

Sakura didn't want to go out _there,_ there was a high chance of her seeing someone she would rather not. As the grumbling of her stomach continued, she knew there was no avoiding it. Eve if she were dead, she needed to eat, or... Well she wasn't going to die, but she stomach was going to drive he insane. Disregarding stealth in favor of speed, Sakura ran down the halls in a flurry of pink and white.

Absent-mindedly, Sakura noted that the lights in the hallways were dimmed, perhaps signifying that it night time. She couldn't be sure though, as she had yet to see a window. Sakura randomly wondered if there even was any windows in wherever she was. Was there a way to tell night from day in the afterlife? Her stomach complained at her again, and all thought besides those of food left her mind. Even her anger and hatred for the people she was stuck with for the rest of eternity was momentarily forgotten.

Without any disturbances, Sakura reached the kitchen and switched on the light. It was generically designed, with white tiles and simple cabinets. She looked into the refrigerator, wondering where they even bought their food, she found some rice and ikura. Her stomach still growling, she ignored the ikura, not having the patience to make onigiri, and popped the rice into the small microwave.

Much to her enthusiasm, after a two minute wait, her rice finished with a resounding _beep._ She quickly pulled it out and excitedly took a bite of her (midnight?) snack, her stomach instantly begging for more. She slowly continued, knowing better than to shovel everything at once. She would only end up regretting it if she did. Jumping up onto the kitchen counter, Sakura sighed in considerable happiness and ate her food. She wanted nothing but her rice until she finished, and when she did, Sakura's mind began to wander.

_Sasuke..._ She wondered where he was, and where he was going to end up. He wasn't a bad person, even if he did kill her; he had a justified reason for doing so. she would have killed him if he hadn't stopped her, it was her own fault that she was dead... _No._ She had to stop making up excuses for Sasuke, what he was doing was wrong, no matter how many times she told herself that he had a reason for his crimes. Nothing could ever justify murder. Karin was an S-class criminal, but she had been his teammate, perhaps even friend, and he had killed her despite that. Then there was her, who he supposedly loved; he had killed her in cold blood any way. Itachi she couldn't blame him for, Itachi had wanted his own death, had planned for Sasuke to kill him. Still, the idea of killing your own brother, no matter what he had done to him, was highly unthinkable to her.

Itachi had woken up at the sound of someone running past his room. It was such a soft sound that he hadn't been sure that it was anything at all, but Itachi had decided to see what it was anyway. Apparently, Sakura had woken up and found herself hungry, because she was sitting on the counter, eating a bowl of rice. He watched as she finished, and then as she glared into space. It didn't take much for him to guess who she was thinking about, it had to be Sasuke. He couldn't blame her for thinking about his younger brother, she loved him.

For the first time in his short existence, Itachi wondered what it would be like to have a woman pining over _him,_ he had never considered it, even wanted it. She looked utterly miserable, so he still wasn't sure if he ever could want to put someone through such torture. But imagine, being reunited with that woman, and getting to see as her face lit up with excitement, relief and happiness. What if a woman _did _have such powerful feelings for him? If someone loved him, of all people, would he love her back? He had never really loved someone outside of his own family, but he wondered if it could be so much different.

Poor Sakura, she loved Sasuke with everything that she was, but even if he did die, they would never be together again. She had to realize it, that everyone in this world were people he killed, no one else could ever get in. Even if Sasuke had somehow made his way to them, he would never be fully welcome by anyone except perhaps him and herself. Her agony was as clear as her abnormally large forehead.

Itachi realize then how much of a pretty girl she really was, and how much of a fool Sasuke really had been by letting her slip through his fingers. Sakura was an exotic sort of beauty, with her unusually colored hair and emerald-green eyes. He hated himself for even looking, but he could see her subtle curves through the thin material of her white kimono.

It wasn't right, he shouldn't be looking at her in such a degrading way, not when she wasn't even his. Sakura was the woman he had chosen for Sasuke, and he had done a good job, because Sasuke was the only person she could possibly love so passionately. He shouldn't be looking at her like he was, she was never going to be his. He always seemed to do this, he always wanted the things he could never have.

Itachi had to reassure himself that this was a natural reaction for him, for any man. He had never _'had a woman' _during his life, not in any way, shape or form. He couldn't recall even ever having seen a woman entirely naked during his life, so it was perfectly normal for him to want something after getting a slight few of her smooth body. Nonetheless, it was wrong of him, he didn't even know her.

Itachi left her in her confused state of being, hoping that she hadn't noticed his being there, and that she would get back to bed soon. She would get over Sasuke eventually, she wouldn't survive if she didn't, and no matter how much he wanted to be, he couldn't be involved with that painful process. It wasn't in his place to do so. He shouldn't have even the right to look in her direction, after the way he had ruined her chances at a happy life.

His room was as plain as any other, and after returning to it, he considered changing that. It looked like nobody was living in it, not that anyone really was, but more like _residing_ in it. Itachi put put these thoughts aside, and lay down on his futon. His earlier thoughts about Sakura were hardly forgotten, but he decided it was nothing more than sexual attraction. He most definitely did not love Haruno Sakura, nor did he want to, and she certainly would never even look in his direction except but to glare at him. His newly discovered desire for a woman would pass in time, and then everything would go back to the ways it always had been. He would ignore his inmates, and they would do the same. There was no reason for this to change now, just because Sasuke had failed to realize he was supposed to continue the Uchiha line with Sakura.

When Sakura woke the next morning, there was a short, quick knock on her door. She wasn't in the least inclined to answer it, but after a few minutes, there was another knock. Knowing all too well that the insistent knocking wouldn't end until she got up, Sakura rolled out of the comfort of her futon, and stumbled to the door. When she opened it, she found a very impatient Karin standing there.

"I see you decided to wallow in self-pity." She snorted, walking right on past Sakura and entering her room. She ignored Sakura's glare at being intruded upon, and sat down at the little table in the middle of the room. Seeing that Karin had no intention on leaving any time soon, she sighed tiredly, then closed her door. Settling at the table across from Karin, Sakura crossed her arms and huffed.

"What do you want?"

"It really is sad, how the one girl who might have been worthy of Sasuke turned out in the end." Karin sneered slightly, giving Sakura a smirk that was bound to get on her nerves. Sakura ignored her remark, and looked down at her fingernails, inspecting them with disinterest. The best way to get a girl like her out of the way was to pretend that they weren't there. It had always worked with Ino, so it should work with Karin as well.

Karin sighed, seeing what Sakura was trying to do. If there was anything that she couldn't stand for, it was to be ignored. She had spent too many years being ignored by Orochimaru and Kabuto, and then by Sasuke. She had never had any real friends, and had never talked with another girl just to talk. She seriously doubted that Sakura could be a girl who she could tell everything, but after so many years of neglect, she needed to talk to someone, anyone who was a girl.

"I didn't come here to make fun of you, you know." Karin muttered, wondering when she had become such a bitch. Perhaps it had been a defensive mechanism she had created for herself when joining Orochimaru. It had been hard in sound, especially when you were considered no more than an experiment. If you wanted to eat, you had to fight for your food. It was no different than being a dog.

"Then why did you come?" Sakura asked, irritation coloring her voice. She didn't want anything to have to do with the red head, no matter how wrong of Sasuke it had been to kill her. She didn't want anything to have to do with anything to do with anyone she was stuck there with. Sakura had been determined to not say a thing to any of them once she got up in the morning; she would go about her business, they would go about theirs.

"I wanted to know what else Itachi-kun told you about what happened." Karin whined, instantly reminding Sakura of Ino, and Sasuke had been 'Sasuke-kun,' and he had been more of a possession, no a status symbol. She snorted. Itachi-kun?

"You call him Itachi-kun?" Sakura asked, trying to hold back the laughter. It was hard to picture Itachi being called '-kun' and _not _killing someone for it. Or it least trying to, since everyone was already dead, and you couldn't really die twice.

"Not ever to his face!" Karin said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose to hide the fact that she was blushing. Sakura couldn't believe it, the obsessive red head had switched from Sasuke to Itachi. She was besides herself.

"You like him."

"Have you ever seen that guy shirtless? He's freaking hot!" Karin exclaimed. She was pretty sure that normal kunoichi (the word normal being relative) talked about hot guys, and though she was a girl, she had never had such a conversation. It had been hard to keep silent about Sasuke when she had been alive; sometimes Suigetsu would swear that she talked to herself in her sleep. Talking to another girl was something she desperately needed.

"I have seen him shirtless, and still wet from the shower, for that matter."

Karin's jaw dropped, wondering how Sakura wasn't chasing after him after seeing such a delectable scene. If she had ran into him in nothing but a towel, she wouldn't have been able to stop herself from jumping him. Yet, Sakura remained indifferent.

"And you're not trying to jump his bones?! You must be crazy!" Karin said in shock, not understanding what could possibly be wrong with the girl. Sakura's eyes widened fractionally in surprise, she had never expected Karin to be so blunt about a guy. It reminded her of Ino, and all of the times she had tried to convince her to go with someone other than Sasuke. It hurt to think of her best friend though, and she couldn't help but to wonder what Ino was thinking then.

Surly Ino knew of her death by then. Hell, Sakura might have already been buried. Shinobi spent no time wasted when it came to putting their fallen comrades into their coffins. _Bury the dead, they stink up the place,_ Tsunade used to always tell her. Hopefully they wouldn't go after Sasuke, her death should have been a lesson well learned. Sakura didn't want to be avenged, she didn't want any of her friends to fall down the same path that Sasuke had.

Still, was Karin being completely serious in _her_ wanting to 'jump his bones,' as she had so intelligently put it? It was hard for a kunoichi to do, but Sakura had been saving herself for Sasuke. To do such a thing with Itachi instead went against everything that her heart demanded. Besides, Sakura was pretty sure that Itachi didn't have a hormone in his body. Otherwise, he would have wanted to rebuild the Uchiha clan himself, instead of leaving it to his younger brother.

"I hate to break it to you, but I think that Itachi is asexual." Sakura said bluntly, causing Karin to gasp in horror.

"There's no way someone with such a big-"

"Don't even finish that sentence." Sakura cut her off abruptly. Sakura was pretty sure that she didn't want to hear how wonderfully large Itachi's package was. Part of her was curious _how _Karin had seen them though. If Itachi had the tendency to walk around with nothing on, however unlikely it was, she was going to be hiding in her room even more than she had originally planned.

"Trust me, judging on the size of his, there's no way that he doesn't have hormones." Karin remarked wisely. It was just like being with Ino. Okay, so Sakura would avoid everyone except perhaps Karin. She wasn't so bad once you got past the bitchiness.

"Why, and how are you checking out Itachi's penis?" Sakura sighed, unperturbed with the turn of the conversation. She was a medic, and therefor, knew how to be a little bit more mature about sex, seeing as she had to study it under Tsunade. She didn't want to know how big his was, but she was curious how Karin had snuck a peek. Itachi didn't strike her as someone to walk around in the nude, even if everything she did know about him was falsely founded and incorrect.

"Oh! Orochimaru put a video camera in his shower. You can watch with us next time, if you want to."

Sakura blanched.

Karin answered the other half of the question as such, "I decided that if I couldn't be with Sasuke, then I could be with Itachi instead."

It was so wrong. Orochimaru was seriously putting a video camera in his shower? She admitted she wasn't innocent of such acts, but _he _was a fifty year old man, and she had been thirteen. If Sakura had any reason to feel bad for Itachi, it wasn't because he had been forced to massacre his family, but because a gay pedophile and his goony was spying on him in the shower. She wondered if she should give him a warning, or let Karin and the Fag Lord be. It wasn't really her problem if they liked to watch him wash himself. In fact, it was sort of funny that he hadn't figured it out yet himself. He was supposed to be a legendary shinobi, a prodigy, and yet he was letting people spy on him when he was naked? It didn't add up, making the entire situation amusing to her.

"Wow, this all reminds me of the time me and my friend Ino put a camera in Sasuke's shower. I remember how she had such a bad nose bleed that it wasn't even funny." Sakura smiled to herself in reminiscence. After watching that short, twelve minute clip, she and Ino hadn't been able to look at Sasuke with a straight face, much less without laughing, of blushing wildly. Those were the good days, when the most you ever had to fear was of Sasuke finding out why you laughed whenever you saw him. He must have figured it out though, maybe he had overheard them talking about it, but when he did, he wouldn't even look in her direction for a whole week. _And_ he put traps in his bathroom.

"Wow, you got to see Sasuke's? I don't think that anyone in sound ever saw it except for Orochimaru and maybe Kabuto, What was it like?" Karin asked, her eyes lighting up in excitement. Sakura sighed, remembering her escapades to see the all-mighty Sasuke naked. It had been so much fun to scheme with Ino, and neither of them had been disappointed with the results.

"Well, if what you say about Itachi is true, then big dicks must run in the family." Sakura said. A moment of silence passed between the two girls before they both rolled over, laughing. Sakura was short of breath, her lungs begging for oxygen, before she could calm down. Despite everything, Sakura found herself liking Karin. She was a lot like Ino had been, and Ino had been her best friend. At least she wouldn't be completely alone for all of eternity.

"You know that he can never come here, right?" Karin asked quietly, sobering the mood. Yes, Sakura was already aware of this one point, and yes, she had accepted that she would never see him again, but that didn't mean that she was over him. This epiphany had the opposite reaction in her, she was thinking about Sasuke more than ever, even when he had left Konoha. Then, he had only been gone, she always had the chance that she would see him again. Now, however, she had nothing to hope for, and she saw Sasuke's face in everything. In her pillow as she lay her head down, in the ceiling as she woke up, in the grains of wood in the table she sat at. He was everywhere, and he apparently had no intention in leaving soon.

"I know." Sakura finally sighed.

_Well, if anything, that was interesting._ Itachi stood motionlessly outside Sakura's door, just having heard a good part of their conversation. Deidara, the person who was designated to cook breakfast that morning, had sent Itachi to get the girls so they could eat. He hadn't planned on bothering Sakura, knowing that she wouldn't trust anything a terrorist made, but when he had gone for Karin, her signature led him in Sakura's direction. He learned a few things, if nothing else. Karin's insistent affections had moved from his brother to _him_, which he wasn't sure he appreciated. He didn't appreciate the fact that she and Orochimaru were taping him in the shower, nor that he was taken as a robotic-asexual man by Sakura. The former point did explain why Karin was always giggling around him like a school girl.

Another thing he learned: obsessive girls seemed to want to see their crush's dick. The fact that Sakura had done the same as Karin for Sasuke was slightly alarming to him. Even at the age of thirteen, for her to be involved in such schemes; he didn't like it. Perhaps it was because she had seen someone of the opposite sex naked before, while he had never. It felt as if they now stood on uneven grounds. Not that he really cared.

Glad that the conversation on how Uchihas seemed to be_ larger_ then most was over, Itachi knocked on the door. A few moments passed before the short, pink haired girl answered it, her hair sticking up on end more than usual. They stood there for almost a minute before he figured she had no intention in speaking to him at all.

"Deidara has requested that I find you two. He has prepared breakfast." He said calmly, and in utter politeness, being sure that his face didn't crack and give away that he had been eavesdropping. He had already seen Sakura reduced to a fit of tears, but he knew her fists were even more fearsome than that. She had been the pupil of the Sannin Tsunade, whose spitfire personality had been passed on, according to common knowledge.

"He will be highly offended if you do not join us. it is not the wisest thing to do; setting someone you will spend eternity with against yourself." Itachi told her softly, seeing her distrust. Her facial expression told him he was right in assuming she wouldn't want to eat breakfast with everyone.

"He's a terrorist." She replied bluntly. Itachi sighed in disappointment. She needed to stop holding grudges, at least if she was planning on surviving any length of time in such a diverse crowd.

"One would think you would learn to not judge a person by their outward appearances." He replied, trying to remain polite, and to stay on her better side. When it came to Sakura's horrendous mood swings, there probably wasn't a good side to her, just from what he could tell. He hadn't talked with her more than once, but her face, her eyes more specifically. gave away her quick temper.

"Yourself being a prime example, of course." She answered him haughtily.

"Perhaps."

She stood in silence for a moment, knowing he was right in her coming to breakfast. Her thoughts recollected, she momentarily sighed deeply, shutting her eyes and massaging the bridge of her nose in distress.

"Fine, I'll come. Just give me a moment to run a _microphone_ through my hair." She told him with a straight face, sliding the door shut before perceiving his reaction. He stood behind it in horror, not believing that she had the nerve to bring _that_ up. He had silently hoped that she would have forgotten seeing him singing _Three Days Grace___into a hair brush. It was unpardonable that he should be caught doing something so embarrassing. She deserved to tease him though, for his lack of discreteness. He couldn't even recall the last time someone had something to tease him for. _Oh, ha, ha, you killed your family! Ha, ha, ha..._ Snort.

No, nobody had ever had a good reason to laugh at him, but she clearly did. He was never going to sing again, even if he was sure nobody could hear. Even if it was to his favorite song. She would never have something worth teasing him for again. No doubt, she thought he was incompetent, being spied on in the shower, and then her hearing him sing with a brush as a microphone. That was enough to die of embarrassment. Perhaps he should see if the theory that you couldn't die twice was true or not. He had some rope in his room somewhere. A short drop and a quick stop...

Asexual was he? She was the medic, so she should know that was physically impossible. He turned and left, not wanting to still be there when she opened the door again. He processed everything that he had heard, and finding that to be an awkward thing to do. He remembered what Karin had said, and wondered if it was true. He had never compared himself to other men, but he supposed that what he had was above average. What he wanted to know was who she was comparing him to. Another thing that was bothering him, did having a large penis run in the family as Sakura seemed to believe?

He groaned in frustration, entering the small kitchen. Itachi took a seat at the table, sipping at the cup of tea he had left when going to retrieve the girls. Orochimaru was at another one of his scrolls, he seemed determined to find a way to come back to life. After eyeing the Sannin warily for a few moments, he sighed in exasperation and rubbed his temples.

What right had they to talk about his penis anyway? That was something personal; had they no decency, no morals? It was his business, not theirs, so they shouldn't have been speaking about it so freely. _They had been laughing, for God's sake!_ Itachi wondered if kunoichi talked about a male's sexual organ on a regular basis, or it if was just those two. He wasn't sure which of the two would be worse. Either he was stuck with two perverts for the rest of eternity, or the whole shinobi population was doomed.

Then there was Orochimaru, to add to the mayhem. It truly was a terrifying thing when a full grown man was putting a video camera in your shower, a full grown man more than twice your age. If that pedophile creep was doing such things to him, Itachi morbidly wondered what he did to Sasuke. Surly his younger brother had been practically tortured with the perversions of such a pedophile. Orochimaru had to be the epitome of sick bastards. He chased after little boys, and gave the hickey of death as an attack. Now that he thought about it, he should have prevented Orochimaru from contacting Sasuke, or stopped Sasuke from leaving Konoha. He had so much to regret.

It was then that the two girls filed into the bathroom, both of them giggling together. Itachi assumed that they had gone back to the topic that amused them so much: Uchiha dicks. He didn't look at them directly, but when he saw from the corner of his eyes that Karin was looking at him, he noticed the faint pink of her cheeks. Great, so the _completely_ insane one really did like him. He was sure that she was a perfectly nice girl, but he wasn't interested. He wasn't even really sure if he was interested in Sakura.

He just wanted to be left alone at that moment; he didn't want the mentally unstable redhead to brag about his penis for him, and he certainly didn't want his hormones to finally awaken, after so many years of being dormant. Stupid mind-controlling hormones. Stupid, irresistible pink haired kunoichi who was causing this hormonal change in him. Stupid, hate blinded Sasuke, for killing her, and putting him into his own, personal hell. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

He noticed, with annoyance, how Karin sat directly next to him, so close that he could smell her obnoxious perfumes, while Sakura seemed to distance herself from him as much as she possibly could without leaving the table. Was it necessary for her to do so, he asked himself angrily. If anything, she should be trying to get closer to him, seeing as he was the only person there who had stayed loyal his entire life. He was the good, sacrificing shinobi, and this is how kami knew who was repaying him. He supposed this was what he got for doing the right thing, for being the nice guy.

This was going to be a long eternity.

**AN: Thanks for reading my second chapter! Please leave me a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you everyone for the reviews you've left me so far! It is so encouraging to hear what you guys have to say.**

Itachi was very much displeased. No, he was beyond displeased, he was livid. Karin and Sakura, whom he now considered to be _the_ perverted duo, were laughing like school girls. He did not have to listen to their whispers to know what they were giggling over. He did not want to hear any of their immature antics. It was not until Karin had asked how _hairy_ Sasuke had been that that he knew it was going too far; it had taken all of his will power to neither spit out, or choke on, the miso soup that had been in his mouth.

By the time breakfast was over, he swore that his cheeks were aflame, and that the two kunoichi had the most indecent minds of anyone he had the misfortune of knowing. He was then convinced that no male could ever be safe around the pair, with how in depth their conversation was veering. Itachi ha to stop the mayhem, before any other man were subjected to their perverse reasonings.

Sakura left the kitchen first, her spirits lifted and her cheeks pink from the details of the conversation she had just shared with Karin. Karin had stayed to make an attempt at flirting with Itachi, which he quickly deduced. He wanted no part of it, and so, much to Karin's aggravation, he left just as speedily. Itachi chased Sakura down, deciding to actually stop her talks of Sasuke and himself, instead of just ignoring it like he should. It was beyond inappropriate.

"Haruno!" He called after her angrily, making Sakura pause in place. She did not have to turn to see that it was Itachi who had called her. She had half the heart to continue, and ignore him all together. It would only serve to annoy him though, and without any further ado, she turned to face him.

"Yes, Uchiha-san?" She asked sarcastically, crossing her arms and looking up at him as he got closer. Itachi really did not want to tell her to stop talking about his brother in such an inappropriate way, but seeing as she did not know any better, he clearly had to do it.

"Cease to speak of my brother and I in such a degrading way." Itachi commanded darkly. She bristled, and then the blood went straight to her cheeks. Sakura did not know which was more embarrassing, the fact that Itachi had approached her on the matter, or that he had heard them in the first place.

"I do not know what you are talking about." She said in an attempt to deny the truth. He glared at her, not for a second believing her lie.

"You know perfectly well of what I speak." He replied in irritation. Sakura's face reddened even more, something Itachi had not suspected possible.

"It is none of your business what I talk to Karin about, and-"

Itachi interrupted. "I _made_ it my business when I heard you both talking of _me. _I am not someone to take so lightly, Haruno."

Sakura stared up in shock and disbelief. Fine, she told herself, if he wanted her to be truthful about it, then she would be. He was not going to like it any more than he had when she denied it. She was normally a truthful person anyway, and had a hard time lying, but she was brutal about it. There was not way Itachi was going to get any satisfaction from her, she could not allow him to. Sakura's stare slowly turned into a disdainful glare.

"Fine, Uchiha, we were talking about your junk. I still do not see why it concerns you so much, do not all guys have some sort of pride about your dicks? Or did I somehow injure that pride?"

Itachi blinked, and his eyebrows lifted as high on his forehead as they could possibly go. Her blunt retort had come as quite a shock, so much so that he was sure he was blushing. It was not fair, he told himself, that kunoichi was doing such terrible, cruel things to his mind. All she did was tease him, play with his thoughts. Nobody had ever done that to him before. It was uncomfortable and unwelcome.

"My _pride_ had nothing to do with it. It is wholly improper for you to regard me in such a prudent manner."

"I think it has _everything_ to do with your pride. You do not have to worry though, Karin spoke very highly of your... Assets, if it makes you feel any better."

"I am well aware of what Karin has told you. I had the great pleasure of hearing her say it herself. As I said, my pride has nothing to do with it, I just..."

His voice trailed off, and Itachi found himself incapable of finishing his sentence. He was not a very blunt person, not was he at all vulgar, making it difficult for him to even look her in the eye when they stayed on the current topic of conversation. He preferred to speak in riddled, to say something without actually saying it. Sakura waited to no end, and quickly grew impatient for him to finish his statement.

"_You just_... What?" She asked in a complaining tone. He looked down at her and instantly knew that he could not say what he intended to. He partially wished that he was a blunt, truthful person, but it went against his general character. It would not do.

"Never mind. I cannot tell you." He sighed. She would only tease him again if he said what he wanted to, and rightfully so. He might have even laughed at his own foolishness if he had finished the statement. Sakura was put out.

"Tell me, Uchiha." She growled. He shook his head, much to her chagrin.

"No."

"Tell me."

"I cannot."

"Yes, you can."

"No." Itachi repeated. It became very clear to Sakura that he would not relent until he was throughly pushed into doing so. She was not letting him go, if her (after)life depended on it, not until he finished his sentence.

"Tell me!" She shouted, hammering a fist into his chest. He flinched, and was undeniably thankful that she had not packed it full of her deadly chakra. Itachi realized very quickly that he was playing with a fire that he could not control, and that it would be safest if he retreated.

"I am not telling you, Haruno."

"Yes, you are."

To this, she only got silence, and Itachi tried to make an escape. She grabbed him by the shirt as he began to leave though, making it impossible for him to continue. The kunoichi was going to be the (second) death of him, he swore it.

"Tell me!" She demanded loudly. Itachi was sorely tempted to just to take off the restricting shirt and then walk away as such. Then she hooked a finger through the belt loop to his pants. There would be no escaping, at least not with any shred of dignity left. She was silently telling him, _'you are not getting away until you have throughly disgraced yourself.'_

"No." He replied quietly, a tone of begging underlining his voice. He hated how weak he sounded, just from the one word he had uttered. Did she have to be so cold hearted to him?

"Yes."

"No." Again, such shameful weakness.

"Tell me!"

"I will not tell you, Haruno."

"Tell me now, dammit!"

"Resorting to profanities will not persuade me in the least."

She tugged slightly on the belt loop, threatening to tear his pants from his body. His eyes twitched, that being his most expressive way of showing how terrified by the idea he really was.

"Tell me!" She barked.

"No."

Another, harsher tug.

"Tell me now!"

"No!" He finally rose his voice. Why could not the infuriating kunoichi merely turn around and leave him be? He did not want this, and she did not have anything real to gain from it. He recieved another tug.

"Tell me now, Uchiha!"

Silence. He hated his very _existence_, and hers even more. Tug.

"Fucking tell me!"

"I just do not want to hear you talking about our dicks!" He finally relented, fully disconcerted. More silence passed between them before Sakura began to laugh hysterically. Had that really been it, that whole big ordeal over that?

He looked completely mortified, both by what he had just said, and by her reaction. He knew she would laugh at him, and he refusal to be frank.

"Was that so hard to say?" She finally asked through giggles. Sakura could not remember ever having talked to such a modest man before. It was utterly unthinkable. So much so, that Sakura failed to realize that he had said he did not like _her_ talking about him, that he had not mentioned Karin at all.

"Yes, it was." He replied blandly. Once more, she laughed at his expense.

"Anything more you would like to say, while you are at it?" Sakura sneered. She unhooked her finger from his belt loop, releasing him. His only response was a grunt, with which he disappeared. Sakura did not fail to notice the pink hinting at his cheeks, and though it was amusing, she was not sure what to make of it. Perhaps she should have left it like he had wanted and not pushed him into saying 'dicks.' It clearly was something he never said, and maybe it had been wrong to force him to. She had an idea of what he was going to say before he did, Sakura had just thought it would be funny to hear him say it.

Sakura refused to feel even remotely bad for him, until she passed what apparently was Itachi's room, based on the blare of death metal. If he had transitioned to the roaring sounds somehow considered music from _Three Days Grace_, she knew he had been sadly effected. For some reason or another, she never pictured Itachi as being such an emotional person. Then she remembered the one time they had meet in life, and realized he was _not_.

The time they had met during life, he had been completely emotionless and uncaring, he had not spared her more than one glance. He had attacked Naruto and Kakashi, and then be defeated. He had shown nothing of his personality in that fight, so Sakura had assumed he simply did not have one. Now that he was out of his element, it was clear that he did have a personality, and a very interesting on at that. He was for the most part, quiet and soft spoken, but in certain matters (or so she guessed) he gathered his courage, and spoke out. Some would consider him proud, but Sakura saw Itachi as being more socially awkward, or perhaps even shy, than that.

Karin, who had heard most of their argument, chose to approach his door. Itachi could sense her unnerving presence outside his room, and waited for her to knock for entrance. She, if anyone, should have known that he was in a foul mood, seeing as she spied on him on a regular basis. He did not want to talk to the obnoxious kunoichi, but with Karin standing outside, he grew paranoid. His anxiety would not leave until she did, so he angrily stomped to the door and violently slid it open.

The redhead's eyes shot up in shock, and her face flushed from being caught. He hoped Karin seriously did not consider her actions to have been stealthy, because he could have sensed her nervousness through a brick wall. He glared down at her, waiting for the kunoichi to either run, or speak. She opted for the latter.

"Itachi-kun, you are upset about something." She murmured, looking away from his mesmerizing eyes. The last thing she needed was to be distracted and the be made into an even bigger fool in front of Itachi.

"Really now, what would make you think such a thing?" He bit sarcastically. His tone made her jump, and then a more prominent blush touched to her cheeks, clashing with her red hair. Itachi did not feel guilty for scaring her, not after what he had heard her say.

"Because, you are playing _that_ music again." She muttered, looking up at his chin, refusing to look him in the eyes. Itachi was astounded, he never intended for her to reply, his question had been rhetorical. He was also surprised by the fact that he listened to death metal when his mood went south. Karin seemed to know more about him then he would like. In his opinion, their relations should be left utterly platonic, he could never feel anything for such a dense kunoichi. His sympathy for her could only go so far, and he was not going to stretch his feelings for her because she was killed ruthlessly. The idea went against everything that he believed, not to mention the unexplainable feelings he held for Sakura.

She was just a female, who if he dared pursue, would give into his bodily demands. She was a challenge, unlike Karin, making her more worthwhile. He had to tell himself that, he refused to think his feelings for Sakura were anything more than physical desire. Still, the nagging voice in the back of his head told him that if he wanted a woman merely as a release of the sexual tension built up inside of his once perceived hormone-less body, then he would have gone with Karin.

"And by that music, I assume you mean _Shai Hulud._" He grounded out, feeling slightly insulted by how she had regarded his favorite metal band. She gulped, hearing the defense in his voice, but nodded her head nonetheless.

The silence that passed between them for the next minute created such a thick atmosphere, Itachi was sure he could have cut through it with a knife. Surely she had heard what Itachi told Sakura, he mused. No doubt, everyone in the vicinity had heard his outburst. Part of him was under the impression that she would act as plastic as ever, and pretend that she heard nothing of his yells. The other part of him was more concerned with the fact that she, being a rather foolish, misguided woman, might bring up the subject he so wished, but knew he could not, avoid.

"I assume that it is unnecessary for me to repeat what I told Sakura to you." He said, just to be sure that she got his message, if Sakura would not tell her herself. He could never be sure with either of the kunoichi running about. If Itachi thought about it, he could only come to one conclusion; things had been so much simpler when there had only been males around. Itachi could only pray to whatever kami that would listen that Sasuke's recent trend of killing infuriating women did not continue.

"What are you talking about, Itachi-kun?" She asked innocently, a sweet, lying smile dawning her face.

Ah, so this was the card she would play, Itachi concluded. Just as Sakura had, Karin planned on denying what he had already discovered her guilty for. How could someone so small and weak be so truly annoying?

Cautiously, Itachi glanced both ways down the hallway, then pulled Karin into his room by the collar of her revealing shirt. It seemed that he _would_ have to repeat what he told Sakura, but he had no intention in doing so where people could overhear again. Her eyes widened at his forward actions, and Itachi realized almost too late that she must have been misinterpreting what he did. It was not his problem though, if she was now deluded into thinking he had an attachment to her.

Karin inspected the room in which she stood, finding it rather plain. She was not sure what she had been expecting, but it was not what she saw. There was a bed instead of a futon, a well stocked book shelf, and a small table. Besides this, there was nothing worthy of mentioning. The walls were bare and eggshell white, his sheets clean and tightly fitted onto his bed, and not a single book was out of place. Part of her had been hoping to find dirty clothes on the floor (she wanted to steal them and wear it to bed), but there was nothing to be found. His room was so clean, she thought it might have been sterile enough to be used as a hospital room.

"Do not presume that I am foolish enough to fall for that." Itachi ground, sliding his door shut. It became very clear, very fast, that Itachi was in as bad of a mood as he ever could. It would be stupid of her if she continued to uphold her plastic-like facade, Itachi thought bitterly.

Karin blinked a few times. "I do not know what you are talking about, Itachi-kun."

He groaned in exasperation, suppressing the growing need to strangle Karin. It was needless for her to keep acting as if nothing happened, he already heard everything he wanted to hear. Hopefully, if she hung around Sakura enough, she would start using common sense, and do as she was told. Chances of this were slim though, and he knew this. Running a hand through his hair in irritation, Itachi looked the kunoichi in the eye.

"This is a warning. If you _ever_ talk about my brother and I in the same manner as you did this morning, I will find a way to kill you a second time." He snarled, his eyes gleaming with his heartfelt death threat. She looked down at the floor in guilt and embarrassment, unable to meet his eyes. How pitiful, his mind silently sneered. If she really had 'feelings' for him, than she should at least have the backbone to keep eye contact with him.

"Look at me when I am speaking to you. I do not have the patience to deal with your spinelessness." He ordered. Karin winced at his cruel tone, and allowed her eyes to meet his. The hard, cold glare he gave her was almost enough to make her jump. Flustered, her eyes drifted downward, stopping at his lips.

Karin gulped at the sight, saliva collecting at the thought of kissing _the_ Uchiha Itachi. She shivered in anticipation, thoughtlessly inching closer to him. Itachi watched in horror, his eye twitching slightly, as her tongue ran over her lip slowly. There was no way she could seriously be thinking of kissing him, Itachi silently hoped.

Then he saw the lustful haze in her eyes, and he quickly realized that she had every intention in actually kissing him. The thought was disturbing. He had been wrong, it really_ was_ his problem if she misinterpreted his intentions in pulling her into his room. He had to set her straight, before something dreadful happened.

Before she got any further, Itachi grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping Karin abruptly. "I do not pretend to know what you think you are doing, but I have no partiality for you. Stop this foolishness."

A hot flush covered her face, giving away both her disappointment and shame. She looked up into his eyes, begging for him to give in, but he would not be swayed. His expression hardened, the polar opposite reaction than what she had been going for.

"I want you to obliterate the tapes in your possession, and cease their production." He continued coldly. Karin bobbed her head up and down and wordlessly ran for her very life. It was so typical, she realized; she could never have the person she wanted, he would alway have feelings for someone else. Itachi sighed, closing the door behind the redhead, and then turning up the music.

His mind was still swirling, as if he was somehow unable to comprehend what had just passed. Karin had made very obvious moves on him, which he had, in turn, shot down. This proved one thing to him, his need for fulfillment from a woman was more than just that. If it had been merely sexual need, then he would have taken Karin then and there, without a second thought. Instead, the idea disgusted him.

She would have been willing, would have let him do anything that he wished to do. He did not want that though, he wanted to believe that sex was really something special, that it was sacred. It was not something meant to be used to get frustration out. This all could mean only one thing: he had every forethought of an attachment to Sakura.

Unlike Karin, Sakura would not be willing, she would not give into his desire for her, because despite whatever happened between them less than ten minutes ago, she still was desperately in love with Sasuke. She was getting better at hiding it, no doubt with the therapeutic help of another female, but her facade would break eventually, and she would succumb to her misery. He wished there was something he could do to change this, but it was irreversible. Meant to happen.

Itachi was suddenly taken over by anger. How could Sakura feel love so acutely for someone as selfish as Sasuke, for someone who had killed her? He had never expected Sasuke to forgive him for what he did, for killing their clan, yet she was so willing to forgive Sasuke for what he did to her. What did his brother do to deserve someone so unwavering as Sakura? Absolutely nothing.

_Sasuke_ did not have to see a war play out before his eyes when he was four years old. _Sasuke_ did not have to become impossibly strong for the glory of the Uchiha clan. _Sasuke_ did not have to join the ANBU ranks at thirteen, nor was he given the mission of espionage on his own family. He had not been given the order to kill everyone he loved, and then have to flee the village. He did not have to slip himself into a secret organization filled with true murders for the protection of Konoha. He did not have to plan his own death, just so someone else could have a chance at a better life. _Sasuke_ was not dead. He was.

If Sasuke had been the older one, if he had been the one to go through the hells he had been through, he would not have survived. He would have been selfish and uncaring, and do everything for himself. He should not have the right to Sakura's heart. But he had it anyway. It was maddening. Itachi was sure that this was the first time that he had been so angry with his younger brother, and it was not for something he had even done directly.

He sighed, trying to relax himself. He needed to just find a distraction, until he could figure out what to do with Sakura and his unwelcome feelings for her.

In the solitude of her room, Sakura sighed to herself. It was at these times that she felt so utterly alone. She should have been used to being alone, she realized, considering the fact that she had not really seen much of Sasuke for the past few years. Yet, there was that complete despair that threatened to overtake her, just by her knowing that she could never be with him again, even if she wanted to be. He had been her hopes, her dreams, her everything. Now all of that was gone, leaving her to the solitary loneliness of purgatory, or where ever this place was.

She would never wake up in the morning, the sun already starting to show itself, and Sasuke holding her in his arms possessively, even though he was still asleep. She would never experience the feeling of a man loving her as much as she loved him. Sakura would never know the heat of making love to the man she loved, nor the feeling of giving birth to the child of that man. She could no longer live until she was grey and wrinkled, and die of old age in her sleep. She was already dead, and it was all thanks to that one man she was so stupid as to love. And that is what hurt her the most.

It was all of his fault, but Sakura still could not find it in her heart to blame Sasuke.

**AN: Thank you for reading my third chapter, please leave me a review! I want to get some constructive criticism, no matter how much it hurts. Just no insults.... I don't want to hear that.**


	4. Chapter 4

Sitting alone in her room, Sakura realized something important. She had yet to shower, in the time she had so far spent in wherever she was. Sakura very suddenly felt dirty, and decided to change her situation. Itachi would be of no help, and she did not dare bother anyone else, so she had to find Karin. She would understand, if no one else would. Both of them were in the same boat, after all.

Sakura got to her feet, and looked into her closet. Just like the fridge had food in it, it was magically stocked with clothes. Sakura did not question it, it was better not knowing _how_ the clothes had gotten to be there. She grabbed the familiar materials, remembering the last time she had worn the outfit in her hands. It had been when Sasuke killed her. Perhaps it was wrong of her, but when she remembered Sasuke touching her with that outfit on, it made her fell closer to him. She would wear it.

Sakura wandered the halls, until she heard the sound of someone crying. The only person it could be was Karin, she mused, considering how high pitched the voice was. She wondered if Itachi had confronted _her _as well, however unlikely it was. Otherwise, she could think of nothing to make Karin cry as she was. Unsure if it was the right thing to do, Sakura knocked on the door. There were a few seconds of silence, and then the door slowly opened.

There were steaming tears still flowing down Karin's face, smearing black from her mascara. Sakura would have been lying if she said she was not surprised. Karin looked like a complete mess. She ushered Sakura in, stifling her sobs. Sakura was uncertain of what to do, she had never needed to comfort someone, Ino had always been so strong. It was Ino who had stayed up with her all night when Naruto had returned without Sasuke all of those years ago.

"What happened?" She asked calmly, not sure of what to say. Karin shook, her had hanging to keep her face out of view.

"He rejected me." She choked, slamming the door shut and then slumping to the floor. Sakura crouched next to her, then placed a delicate hand on her shoulder, hoping to give some comfort. Words failed her; she was not about to tell Karin that she never thought Itachi would accept her.

"He pulled me into his room, and I misinterpreted him. All he wanted to do was tell me off, but I thought it was for something else. Itachi-kun was really angry."

Sakura tried to sooth Karin, moving her hand in slow circles, just as Ino had done so long ago.

"I was not thinking. He told me to look him in the eyes, but I was to nervous, so I was looking at his delicious lips instead. Next thing I knew, It was trying to kiss him, and the only thing he said was for me to burn those stupid tapes! He did not even care that he was breaking my heart!" Karin wailed, wiping tears away with her hands. Sakura scowled at Itachi's lack of care in his actions, but she could not pretend that she was surprised by it. It seemed that in social situations, his experience was just as pathetic as Sasuke's had been. _Sasuke..._

The first time Sakura had tried to kiss Sasuke, it had been such a pitiful failure as well. He had been just as indifferent as always, and called her annoying. There never had been a kiss, not until he had killed her. And what a kiss that had been.

Sakura knew why he had done it, it was his way of ensuring her misery for all of forever, but knowing this fact did not change anything. Its effect on her were tolling, she was always thinking about him. Even if he had done such terrible deeds, she still loved him, and hoped he was all right. The fact that she could love such a cold, hateful person hurt to think about. He deserved no such attention, but recieved it anyway. Sakura wished she could hate him for what he had done, but she still loved him, and she supposed that she always would. She cursed his very name for that.

"I ran away as fast as I could... I cannot believe I let myself ruin everything with Itachi. My chances with him were slim as it was, but now I ruined it completely. He will never forgive me, nor even spare me a second glance. He hates me."

Sakura hushed the sobbing girl. "You do not know that he hates you. Everything may seem bad now, but it will look better later on."

Karin disagreed strongly, but said nothing. It seemed by her distant expression that Sakura was speaking more to herself than anyone else. It was very clear that Sakura was still hung up on Sasuke's consuming hatred. Sasuke seemed to be determined to hate everything and everyone in the world. He hated Itachi for killing off their clan, Sakura for clinging to him, Naruto for being a friend, Orochimaru for trying to take advantage of him, and her for being so pathetically weak. Sakura saw this, and wished she could be the one to heal him, to melt his frozen heart, just as Karin had.

"No, it will not look better later on. Itachi will always hate me, because I am so hopeless, so 'foolish.' All he cares about is his stupid plans for Sasuke, he does not even realize what he has in front of him. He may think that he is different than everyone, than Sasuke, but he is not. Itachi gets irritated with the stupid things his brother decides to do, but he is no better. He is just as blinded as Sasuke had been; too concentrated on the future to pay attention to the present. Itachi will never realize that he could be happy, if he let people close to him. All he ever does is shut himself up in that room though, hiding from everyone. He is _afraid_ of me, because he knows what could happen if he let me close." Karin ranted.

"They really are similar, are they not? Sasuke and Itachi are two of the most stubbornly proud men I have ever known. They _are_ blinded, and until someone _does_ touch their hearts, they will remain so." Sakura sighed in reminisce. Just as Itachi had so callously brushed Karin off, Sasuke had done the same. She was most likely, the only girl in existence that understood exactly how Karin felt, and this similarity made it Sakura's unsaid duty to stay by her side. _And _confront Itachi for his abrasive attitude. If Sasuke had never left, Sakura knew that Ino would have verbally abused him, until he consented to apologizing. Therefor, she must do the same as well. Men, and their blunt characters.

"Should I pretend it never happened? I do not want things to be more complicated than they are, and I know he will act as if nothing happened. Stupid men."

"Do not worry. I will personally see to that hard-headed idiot." Sakura replied with nonchalance. Karin's eyes widened in disbelief. She could not begin to imagine why Sakura would want to help her.

"You are going to talk to Itachi? He is in the worst possible moods right now! You do not know what he is like when his attitude goes sour. He becomes cruel, and even more stubborn than usual. You cannot be thinking of bothering him." Karin said fearfully. Sakura had the feeling Karin knew this from experience. Still, she was determined, and would not be dissuaded.

"He needs his ass to get handed to him, and who better than by me? My best friend would have done the same for me, so I will do that for you. It is high time someone told Itachi off." She shrugged in response. Apparently, for Sakura, facing one of the most moody Uchiha in all of history was not a big deal. Then again, she already was dead, so there was nothing he could really do to her.

Karin sighed. "Do as you will, as long as handing him his ass does not include _checking out_ his ass."

Sakura blanched at the very thought. She could promise to _never_ 'check out' Uchiha Itachi, no matter what the circumstance. sakura would never be so desperate for attention that she would seek Itachi for it. It was unthinkable, in every possible way. Uchiha Itachi was not, in any way, shape or form, attractive. Even if he _was_, she would never consider pursuing him; the last rivalry for a boy had not ended well. Karin had already called him, and she would not intervene, even if she did want to. Which she did not.

Sakura hated lying to herself. Fine, she admitted. _Itachi was equally attractive as Sasuke-kun._ It made no difference nonetheless, her heart belonged to Sasuke, and would undoubtedly stay that way. Sakura did not even want for another man to harbor any feeling for her, not if it always ended in misery and loneliness. Loving Sasuke had been a mistake, and she refused to love another man, if she ever did recover from Sasuke. Sakura would not succumb to letting someone else close to her, not after the pitiful end with Sasuke. she would never be hurt like that again, she would not allow it.

"I assure you, I have no intention in going after the Uchiha. He is all yours."

Karin smiled approvingly, and watched in reverence as Sakura walked out of her room. It felt nice, knowing someone cared, knowing that someone was there to help her when she needed it. It had never been that way during her life, she had been discarded by everyone, experimented on and then locked up in her cell. It had taken years to gain any sort of trust from Orochimaru, years full of neglect and torture. She could not discern if it was worthwhile in the end.

Itachi was just beginning to regain control of his temper; the blare of _Otep_ and the smooth cover of a rather morbid book fixated in his lap truly did help. It made no sense to most people, but reading depressing novels was more comforting to him than anything, except perhaps dango. It made him feel better about his life, comparing it to those who were much more tragic. Understandably, it was hard for him to find a good book. If he thought about it, his life _would_ make a good book, but no one normal would ever want to read such a disheartening biography.

It was during one of these, rare, content moments that someone deemed it necessary to bother him. So much for his semi-good mood.

"Uchiha." The voice spat from outside the door. Itachi did not have to open it to know that a very furious Sakura was just beyond his sliding door. He wondered with frustration what he had done to deserve such tormentation from the irate kunoichi. What she wanted, he did not know, and Itachi figured that the only way he would find out was if he answered the door for her.

"Haruno." He replied with ill-humor, violently sliding the door open. He met an extremely put out Sakura, who was glaring at him with undeniable anger. Not waiting for an invitation, Sakura barged into the plain room, ignoring the fact that Itachi would rather her not. She discovered the interior to be plain but sufficient, and it did not surprise her. Itachi seemed to be a practical sort of person.

"I am here as Karin's representative." She stated coolly, as if this comment would explain her reasoning for bothering him. It did not. Itachi could not see why Karin had anything to say to him, nor why she needed a representative to do so. He got the impression that what Sakura was going to tell him were her words, and not Karin's.

"Do you know why I am her, Uchiha?" She asked irritably. Itachi did not. All he cared about was getting back to his book.

"I do not." Itachi stated blandly. He had the feeling that she was going to tell him, wether he wanted to hear it or not. There was no point in resisting, all attempts would be fruitless. Sakura was a woman Itachi dared not refuse when she was angry. If he did, she would turn violent on him.

"I am here because right now, in the confinement of her room, Karin is crying her eyes out. Is it safe to assume that you know why that is?" She asked tersely. Itachi stood wordlessly, unsure of how to respond to this. He did have a few hypothesizes as to why she would be crying, but everything he had done was justly so. Karin had no reason to be in possession of those tapes, and as for the attempt at kissing him, he had every right to stop her. Other than this, he could think of nothing.

"She is crying because of your standoffish attitude. You did not need to be so cold about what she did." Sakura reprimanded.

"You must be suggesting that I had better let her proceed." He commented cooly.

Sakura scowled. "I did not say you should not have stopped Karin, I merely meant that you did not have to be so careless about it."

"You know not of what you speak." He sighed wearily, shaking his head in disagreement. She seemed to only see the occurrence from Karin's vantage point, Itachi concluded in irritation.

"What do you mean 'I know not of what I speak?'" Sakura mimicked angrily, trying to imitate his ever calm facial expression. She knew perfectly what she was talking about, she knew better than anyone in the world. They had both been rejected by a stubborn, seemingly emotionless Uchiha; it was him that did not understand.

"Picture this, Haruno." Itachi stated, interrupting her train of thought. Sakura ground her teeth, hating how it sounded like he was going to talk down to her. Self-righteous bastard.

"You discover that a man has been watching you, and taking videos of you while you bathed. Imagine that you confront this man, and try to persuade him to stop. He takes no heed of your words, and instead tries to seduce you. What exactly would you do?"

"I would kill that bastard! He would never see the light of-"

It was then that Sakura understood what Itachi had been trying to portray. He must be furious with Karin; first she taped him naked, then she attempted to kiss him. The fact that he had only treated her with coldness was quite a feat. She (strangely enough) felt bad for him.

"It seemed that you now understand." Itachi commented calmly. Sakura blushed. Yes, it made sense now. She had only been thinking about how Karin felt, and nothing of Itachi. It had not been fair of her, she contemplated.

The only sound to be heard in the room was the music Itachi was playing. After listening to it for a few seconds, Sakura realized, with surprise, that she recognized it. She smiled slightly to herself at the familiar sounds, remembering when she last listened to it.

"You listen to _Otep_?" She asked softly. His eyes shot up from surprise and disbelief.

"_You_ listen to _Otep_?" He asked back dubiously. Sakura could make sense of why he would not believe her, she did not look the part. Her personality was bright and bubbly, which did not match with the metal.

"Hard to believe, is it not?" She laughed. Itachi rolled his eyes discretely, but still wanting to know how such a happy-go-lucky girl like Sakura had even heard of _Otep_. She seemed to see his unasked question in his puzzled expression.

"It really is ridiculous, but I started listening to metal because of Sasuke-kun. I thought that if we had at least one thing in common, he might pay attention to me more. I hated it at first, but I was determined to make Sasuke-kun notice me, and in the end, I found that I liked it. When he left, it became my main source of comfort."

Itachi stared at the girl in a mixture of awe and disappointment. She was so absorbed with Sasuke that she changed herself for him. He could not touch her, and he had the feeling that he never would be able to. Her heart still belonged to Sasuke, even after he had rejected her. Still, Sakura was amazing, despite her undying love for his brother, and her obliviousness to his feelings. It was better that she did not know how he was attracted to her, she would only feel guilty. He did not want her to give in to him, just because of how he felt. He knew she would, and he did not want her if she was acting only on her conscience.

"I must sound so childish, to someone like you." She sighed. Itachi was unsure by what Sakura meant when she said 'someone like you,' but he did not really think it childish of her. Itachi could not judge someone for their choices in life, not after the ones he had made. Besides, it led her to listen to real music.

"Someone like me?" Itachi asked, wondering what kind of person Sakura thought he was. Part of him was afraid to hear what she had to say about him, but the other, more curious part of him wanted desperately to know. She looked up at him, hesitant to tell him her opinion of his general character.

"This is merely what I think, I am not sure what is actually true," Sakura started carefully, "for the most part, you are quiet, and you keep to yourself. Mature beyond your years. Sometimes though, if it is important, you will voice your thoughts. Some people consider you proud, but in reality, you are just socially awkward."

Itachi blinked, feeling violated by how deeply Sakura had read into him. She was right though, and that scared him. She was more clever than what he had originally given her credit for. Nobody had ever figured him out so quickly, and in so in depth. Even Kisame, whom he was partnered with for almost ten years, never looked into his character so observantly.

"How did you figure this out?" He asked, regaining his lost composure.

"Sasuke-kun is just like that too."

Of course. He was always going to be compared to Sasuke by her, she would never let him go. It was always going to be about Sasuke with Sakura. His younger brother was the only connection he had to her, and that was only because they both cared about him. Itachi had a sudden surge of anger, focused on his brother. Sasuke had faced nothing compared to him, and yet, he still got the woman, even if they would never see each other again.

"I would prefer that you did not compare me to Sasuke, Haruno." Itachi stated stiffly.

"I was right though, was I not?"

"Regardless. I am not my brother, Haruno. Do not mistake me for him. He has done things I would never dare do, even to protect Konohagakure."

"And you are so perfect? You have never made a mistake?" She asked him, tears prickling the corners of her eyes. Itachi's face hardened into a glare. Why did she have to get so emotional over Sasuke?

"I never said I was perfect, Haruno. I know what I have done, more than you ever could. But what I have done, it was done for the safety of Konoha, not my own selfish reasons."

"You pushed him to do those things, and you know that." She retorted, hot tears stinging her cheeks. Sakura was going to protect him, protect the person that had killed her, until she was out of breath and blue in the face. Itachi hated how she put Sasuke before all else. He hated how she loved him, even though he did not deserve it.

"I did not force him to run off to that snake, nor to join Madara, nor to kill you. That he is blame for, because if he had listened to _me_, then he would have stayed in Konoha."

"How could you expect him to listen to _you_? He saw you kill your entire clan!" Sakura shouted back at him. Itachi bristled; she knew why he had killed them, she knew how much it had killed him to do it, but she still used it as a weapon against him.

"Do you think that I wanted to kill them? They were my family, I loved them. It killed me to do it, but if I had not, someone else would have, and your precious Sasuke-kun would have died along with the rest of the clan."

"Does it matter if Sasuke-kun is precious to me? Is that not the reason why you chose me to continue the Uchiha line with him?"

"Yes, it _does_ matter." He blurted out. He froze in shock at what he had just said, knowing there was no way to take it back, nor to cover his blunder. Her eyes widened in anger.

"Well, it should not." She cried, running from the room. Sakura did not understand what he felt for her, she just wanted to get away, to free herself form his calculating stare.

Itachi groaned, swearing under his breath. She was afraid of him, and understandably so. He felt like such a hypocrite; he had just been explaining how he saw Karin as a stalker, but he was hardly better. He did not know her, but he still felt that urging sensation pulling him towards her, originating from the pit of his stomach. Still, he had to go after her. Perhaps, if he made himself known to her, she would start to comprehend his feelings.

Karin heard the sounds of soft footsteps going past her room, and a quiet sobbing. She went to her door, opening it just in time to see a flurry of pink and white turn a corner into another hall. Something must have gone terribly wrong with Itachi, she guessed. Had they gotten into an argument? What had it been about? She was about to follow Sakura, when a flash of black dashed past her. It was then that she came to understand a few important points.

Itachi was going after her, but he had not done the same when she had run off crying. Sakura was important. Sakura was the reason why he had rejected her earlier, the reason why Karin's heart had been broken. He had feelings for _her_. Jealousy and betrayal washed over in waves. Karin was sure that Sakura had no partiality for Itachi, but he did for her. It was unintentional, and she knew that, but this was the second time Sakura had taken someone from her. It hurt to think about, wondering what he would do when Itachi caught up to her.

Sakura opened her door and fell to the ground, not bothering to close it behind her. She should have, she realized when Itachi materialized into her room. The door was shut behind him, and he crouched down next to her. He watched as she cried, before grabbing her chin, making her face him instead of the ground.

"I am going to say something, and you will listen to me, Haruno."

She silently regarded him, their eyes meeting with opposite emotions. Sakura wanted him to leave, so if she just did as he wished, he would be gone sooner.

"I am not my brother. I will not pretend that I know what I am doing, Sakura. What I _do _know is that you make me feel different from any other person I have ever met. You make me confused, and angry, but at the same time, I have never felt more alive. I want you to understand that, Sakura." He whispered. Sakura looked up at him, utterly flabbergasted. Uchiha Itachi had just confessed to her. He had just called her by her first name. Itachi had basically told him he loved her. Sakura did not know what to make of it. she would never have suspected him to have any feeling for her. Obviously, he was not the emotionless person most thought he was, but for him to admit to having such feelings was mind-blowing.

"I do not know what to tell you. You know how I feel about Sasuke, that was why you chose me for him."

It hurt to hear such truthful words, to be so abruptly rejected. "You will never see him again, Sakura. When he dies, years from now, he will be sent elsewhere, a place you can never go."

"Do you think that changes the way I feel about him? I wish I could forget about Sasuke, but for sixteen years I lived for him. I was made to love him from the day I was born. It does not matter if he betrays me, if he continues the line without me; those feelings do not go, no matter what I try." She cried.

"It should matter, Sakura. It should matter that all he has ever done is cause you pain."

"It does not, though."

"It _will_."

Never had Sakura expected him to do this, for Itachi to be so forward. Nonetheless, he had pulled her face to his, then pressed his lips firmly to hers. Her eyes widened in utter disbelief, only partially realizing that Itachi was kissing her. It should not have been possible, but Uchiha Itachi loved her. Sakura felt her stomach spiral.

**AN: Wow! What do you think? I know Itachi is sort of out of character, but hey, it's MY fanfic. Please leave me a review, it is so inspiring to hear from everyone who reads my story.**


	5. Chapter 5

Karin could not believe this was happening to her. Itachi had chased after her; he cared about Sakura, and as always, she was left in the dust. She had to know what had happened, she needed to discover the result of his chasing Sakura back to her room.

She started to walk down the hall in the direction of Sakura's room, when a hand shot out and grabbed her forearm, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to see who had stopped her, and discovered, to her general disgust, that it had been Orochimaru. His hold on her arm tightened, a painful reminder of who he was, and what he was capable of. Even after death, Orochimaru would haunt her. She tried to shake him off, but he was too strong, and would not let her go.

"You will not stop them." He commanded in that sickly sweet voice, putting her hair on end. She had to be strong though, she could not back down from him. Karin was determined to see for herself, even if what she saw was heartbreaking.

"I have to, Orochimaru-sama." Karin whispered, looking to the floor instead of in his terrifying, yellow eyes. His hand tightened again, causing her to gasp in pain. She could not succumb to him, she told herself; she had to stand tall, or he would always be able to control her. Most of her miserable life, she had spent under his wing. While most thought it to be a great honor, she knew more than anyone (besides Sasuke) how terrible it was to be in such a position.

"You will not interfere, Karin. She will bring forth the next of the Uchiha clan. Their child will be mine, and I will have my Sharingan at last." He laughed maniacally, turning Karin cold to the bone. It was not possible for Sakura to conceive, of that much she was certain. They were all dead, so how could life come out of them? And even if it were possible, Sakura would not be the one to give Itachi a child, it would be _her_. Sakura did not love him as much as Karin did, Itachi was just confused.

"Why cannot I do it?" she asked in frustration. If a new Uchiha was going to be brought about, she was obviously the better choice. Karin was more than willing to bear his child, which was more than what she could say for Sakura. Sakura was too busy obsessing over Sasuke to see what was right in front of her. Not to mention the fact that she was _much_ prettier than Sakura; Imagine the adorable kids she could make with him.

"Do you honestly think Uchiha Itachi would pay attention to a weak kunoichi like you? Even if he did give you the time of day, I would not allow a girl with your abilities carry the next Uchiha." Orochimaru cackled.

Karin fumed. "She is no stronger than I am. Sasuke killed her too."

"You think that she is at the same level as you? Haruno was trained by the slug princess, she is an experienced fighter and medic, perfect for continuing the Uchiha line. Yes, Sasuke killed her, but not until after a proper fight. You, on the other hand, were collateral damage, and trained by the likes of Kabuto. Not only is she highly skilled, but her genes are not dominant, meaning the Uchiha genes will show through undoubtedly. Their child will have a set of perfect Sharingan eyes."

His words were like poison, stinging with their bitter truth. Sakura was, genetically, the ideal choice for Itachi. Karin's strange bloodline could very easily intervene with that of the Uchiha. Nonetheless, Karin was willing to give Itachi anything he wanted from her, while Sakura was not. Unfortunately, because Orochimaru had gotten himself involved, there was nothing she could do anymore. If she got between him and his chance at perfect Sharingan eyes, then there would be hell to pay.

"I will not get between them, Orochimaru-sama." Karin whispered softly, trying to hide the tears he caused. Orochimaru laughed at her sad stated, but let her go. She knew better than to go against him, he had discovered her, and made her into the kunoichi she now was. She was one of his many creations, and she dared not offend him. _The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away._

Karin warily headed down the hall, rubbing her sore arm, and trying not to cry. She was utterly beneath his control. She dared not refuse him anything, least of all the Uchiha child that eventually had to come to be. She knew Sakura wanted nothing to do with Itachi, but all the same, she felt a very deep, dark hatred for them both. It passed a moment after it had come, and she soon stood before Sakura's door in silence.

She would not knock, but instead listen to their voices, try to picture what the were doing behind the sliding door.

"_...what I do know is that you make me feel different from any other person I have ever met. You make me confused, and angry, but at the same time, I have never felt more alive. I want you to understand that, Sakura."_ She heard Itachi softly whisper. He had just confessed to Sakura. He had just spewed the words he should have saved for her. Karin could hist picture him holding her beyond that door, silently begging for her to give in. Any normal woman would.

"_I do not know what to tell you. You know how I feel about Sasuke-kun, that was why you chose me for him."_ Karin listened carefully to Sakura's murmured reply. Relief washed over her. Sakura was stronger willed than any other person alive; she had to be, if she was rejecting Itachi. She should have given Sakura more credit, Sakura still loved Sasuke, and that could not change anytime soon.

"_You will never see him again, Sakura. When he dies, he will go somewhere else, somewhere you can never go." _Itachi had growled back. It was clear to Karin that Itachi was very displeased with her rejection. The feeling of his betrayal spiked at hearing him call her _Sakura_. She had been _Haruno_ before, but that had somehow changed. Despite his utter double-crossing, she could not leave yet, not until she knew the outcome of their conversation.

"_Do you think that changes the way I feel about him? I wish I could forget about Sasuke-kun, but for sixteen years I lived for him, I loved him from the day I was born. It does not matter if he betrays me, if he continues the Uchiha line without me; these feelings do not go, no matter what I try." _Was her response. Karin felt an overwhelming sense of thankfulness for Sakura. The kunoichi would not give up on Sasuke, and Karin's gratitude for that was immeasurable. Itachi was a smart man, she decided, he would know when to give up a battle, he knew when he could not win.

"_It should matter."_ Itachi grumbled back, his tone stubborn. Karin smirked to herself. Itachi had lost this battle, and for once, she was happy he did.

"_Well, it does not matter."_ She muttered back, clearly tired of his pestering her. Karin was tempted to cheer, Sakura kept rejecting him again and again.

"_It will."_ Karin heard Itachi snarl.

Then there was silence. She was left to guess what was happening behind the door. With the wild imagination she possessed, her assumptions directed towards the worst case scenario.

Sakura gasped, turning her head away from Itachi. She could not believe that _the_ Uchiha Itachi had just kissed her. She did not want to believe it. Only Sasuke should have been allowed to taste her so throughly, and yet, he had done that. She could not decide if she wanted to brush her teeth or go so far as to hang herself.

"What the hell was that?" She seethed. He looked down at her in bewilderment, trying to think of an appropriate thing to say in response.

"I would think you would recognize a kiss when you got one." He muttered lamely. Sakura scowled at him, not pleased with his answer. Why had he done it? Why would _Itachi_ of all people want to kiss her? His words did not make sense, Itachi could not love her, they had not known each other nearly long enough for any attraction to form. He could not love her for who she was, he could only be interested in her in a physical level. The very thought made her skin crawl with unease and disgust. He wanted something from her, something she was sure she could never give him.

"Why are you doing this, Itachi?" She asked, tears beginning to spill in waves. He sighed as he wiped away the tears flowing with a cool finger, fanning her face with his sweet breath.

"Because, Koishii, he has broken you. He has killed you in more ways than one, and still you save yourself for him, knowing he will never come. _I _do not understand it, but it hurts to see you look so lost. I want to fix you, but I cannot do that until you let me."

"He loved me, you said so yourself." She said, fighting his words. He sighed softly, recalling what he had told her previously, knowing it to be true. Yes, Sasuke had loved her, but that had not stopped him from killing her.

"He did love you, but never enough. He will always love himself more than anyone else." Itachi murmured gently, kissing her wet cheek. She could do nothing but stare at him, mixed emotions showing on her face. She was angry, that much Itachi found obvious, but she was also saddened by his words, and confused. She knew that whatever feelings Sasuke had held for her, they had never been substantial enough to change anything. For her to hear this from Itachi though, it had so much more consequence. Itachi was not one to joke or tease on such subjects, he was fully serious. He seemed to truly care about her, and that was what confused Sakura so much. Sasuke had never given Sakura the time of day, but now his brother, whom she hardly knew, was.

Why was Itachi like this, and why could Sasuke not have been?

"And so you must think _you_ love me enough?" She asked quietly. A very miniscule part of her wanted to give into him, just to feel needed by someone. She would only hate herself for doing that though, Itachi could never be a replacement for Sasuke. It would be cruel of her to do something like that with him, and it would never truly satisfy her. Sasuke was the only one capable of fulfilling her.

"I do not know if what I feel for you is enough, or if it even is love. But I will not stand to see you sit here alone, pitying yourself because you are dead, and you cannot be with Sasuke. You blatantly refuse to see the possibilities set before you; you are blinded, so I must help you see."

Sakura now understood the saying, 'hell hath no fury to a woman scorned.' She did not want to be fixed, least of all by the likes of Itachi. He was the one to cause this mess to begin with. He was the catalyst to her problems, not the solution. If anyone was blinded, it was him. He was reaching for something he could not touch, for something that he did not own.

"Itachi. I died with these feelings for Sasuke, I loved him even in death. If my love for him endures _that_, then it most certainly will last the afterlife. You are deluded, so just leave me in peace." She said thickly, her tears making it hard to even speak. He looked at her, and felt her pain. She was wrong, she did not have to love Sasuke just because of how she felt in life, but now was not the time to tell her so. Before he had died, she had been nothing more than Sasuke's potential wife, she had the perfect genetics for continuing the Uchiha clan, and she loved him. Now, however, his feelings were so much more. If he, the supposed human ice-sculpture, could grow to admire someone he had never really met before dying, he was sure Sakura could move on from his brother as well.

"When you are ready for help, come to me, Sakura. I will not bother you anymore." Itachi muttered, kissing her cheek with delicacy. He opened the door to come face to face with Karin, She was crying again, her eye makeup flowing down her cheeks with tears. She must have heard them running down the hall past her room, he concluded. Without a doubt in his mind, she had heard their heated conversation, and knew that he and kissed her. He should have felt guilty, but he did not.

"Take care of her." He ordered cooly, continuing down the hall, not even bothering to look back. Karin would obey him, her infatuation would not allow her to do otherwise. At least Sakura would be in good hands for the time being.

Karin walked into the room to find that Sakura's state was just as sad as hers was. Without either of them saying much of anything, Karin helped guide Sakura to the shower that they now shared. Sakura felt more regret than she had in a long time, and even more than that, guilt. Karin claimed to love Itachi, but this love seemed to be left unrequited. He thought himself to fancy _her_, of all people. At the same time, Sakura could not help but feel slightly flattered, once she got past the anger and disgust. For Itachi to form any sort of attraction to her when she was such an emotional mess, it was quite the compliment. Not that it changed anything.

Feeling refreshed, Sakura emerged from the shower. Karin waited for her to exit the bathroom, fully clothed, before leaving her post. She was sure sakura could make her own way back to her room, of the kitchen if that was her destination. She wanted just to get away from the woman who had become the root cause of all her failed romantic endeavors. It was too much to even look at Sakura as she combed her fingers through silky, exotically pink hair.

Karin wandered, unsure of where to go. She did not want to see anyone for the time being. Itachi had broken her heart, Sakura had unintentionally betrayed her, and Orochimaru had prevented her from intervening. Danzo she did not converse with anyway, but she supposed she did not have to avoid the insane, terrorist bomber. He was the only person she did not mind speaking with. His insanity often proved to be amusing.

Karin looked up from her feet, finding that she had strayed into the open living room area. It was empty, save for Deidara, who was making himself busy by sculpting a miniature bust of a tortured, anonymous man. She huffed softly, making her way to the couch so she could keep watching him. He glanced up minutely to see who had entered, then turned back to his work.

"You look like shit, un." He commented, not looking up from his sculpture. She scowled, wiping her face, trying to clean it so she looked somewhat presentable. Karin did not know why she even cared.

Deidara sighed, not satisfied with how he piece was turning out. With no hesitation, he took the mound of clay and smashed it back into its original form. It was so much easier to work on something when he had some sort of reference. He stared at the clay, attempting to from.

"Mind if I sculpt you, un?" He asked, looking from his clay to Karin. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she did not object.

"No, I do not mind. What do you need me to do?" She asked Deidara snorted, seeing she was getting a swelled head. He did not want to make a bust of someone who looked high and mighty.

"Nothing. You look miserable enough as it is." He said. She glared up at him for a second, then her expression returned it the same pitiful one it had dawned earlier. Satisfied, Deidara began to move the clay about, until it started to take recognizable shape.

"You want to talk about it?" Deidara finally asked, molding her mouth just in time for her to begin to speak. He hated working in silence, it made him feel uptight, when art should have been a way of venting pent up feelings. It was obvious something was bothering her, and considering how dramatic she was on a regular basis, it would be entertaining to listen to her fume.

"Stupid ass Uchiha. All they ever do is break people's hearts." She muttered, trying very hard not to cry. Deidara chuckled to himself, never looking away from the bust.

"I never did like those damn Uchiha. The bastards think so highly of themselves, just because they have those fucking Sharingan, un. I really wanted to be the one to kill Itachi, but his bastard brother ended up doing it. Now I am stuck with that ass for all for eternity."

"How long have you known Itachi-kun?" Karin asked slowly. Deidara laughed at the suffix she had added to his name, but did not pester her for it. If he was not sure before, he was now, Karin was infatuated with Uchiha Itachi, of all people.

"I have known Itachi for two or three years now. He was the one to recruit me into Akatsuki against my will. We made a bet, and when I lost, I had to join." Deidara explained with irritation. He still hated Itachi for making him join Akatsuki, and wished he could have had the satisfaction of killing him. It was almost shameful that he had been defeated by Itachi's younger brother instead, a boy around four years his junior. If he took the time to think about it, Deidara realized that he had never given Itachi any sort of pay back for wreaking his life.

"You hate Itachi-kun because he defeated you?" Karin asked. She made it sound so simple, Deidara mused. If he thought about it properly, Karin was partially right. It was his defeat that had started the hatred, and then Itachi's standoffish attitude that fueled it. The fact that girls kissed the ground he walked on only served to worsen their relations.

"I guess so. Do not let his suckish personality bring you down, un. He treats everyone like shit."

"Not Sakura." She corrected him sadly. Deidara was so surprised by this revelation that he let his hands fall from the sculpture to stare at Karin. To think that Itachi had taken an interest in someone of the female persuasion, it was nothing but preposterous. Deidara had been so sure that Itachi did not possess a single hormone in his body but obviously he was wrong.

"I wonder if she can get that giant pole out of his ass." Deidara thought aloud. Karin frowned. She had only decided to let him sculpt her because he was supposed to make her feel better. All that Neanderthal was doing was reminding her of what Orochimaru had said about sakura being the perfect genetic match for Itachi. Karin understood this much, but at the same time, she was sure that no other woman but herself could love Itachi as she did.

"She does not even know what kind of man Itachi is. If she cannot figure out this much, then she does not deserve to even _try_ to pull the pole out of his ass!" Karin fumed, her face dawning a resistant pout.

Deidara snorted, entertained by her ignorance-fueled ranting. It was clear that she did not know what kind of man Itachi was either, she was merely putting him on a pedestal because of his good looks. "You think that you know Itachi any better than she does?" He asked dubiously.

His words silenced her, and Deidara got back to work. She was left to contemplate as he quietly molded the bust. He was right, she concluded to herself. Karin did not_ really _know Itachi at all; her affections for him were based sole on those she had for Sasuke in her life. Sakura was the one, she had to be, Karin realized in horror. Sakura was the one who stuck to Sasuke, she was unwavering and accepting, and Itachi deserved a woman like that.

_Take care of her..._ Itachi's words rang through her ears. Karin had assumed he meant that she get Sakura cleaned up and nothing more. That was not his initial meaning though. Itachi intended for Karin to remain Sakura's friend, despite his feeling for her. he wanted her to take care of her in the long term as well, something she knew could be excruciatingly painful. Karin would have to watch from the sidelines as their relationship progressed, would even have to help it along. It was nothing she wanted to be a part of, but if Itachi wanted something of her, she could not refuse him.

Sakura had not felt so utterly alone in a long while. She tried to relax in her room, but the silence was deafening, and the plain walls seemed to be closing in on her. She was anxious, and she needed to get out. Sakura wanted to cry, but it seemed that she had run out of tears. She had spent too much time crying over losing Sasuke to cry much for what Itachi had done.

Sakura was emotionally spent, exhausted almost, as if she had just had a ling training session with Tsunade or Kakashi. Yet, try as much as she did, she could not rest. Her open wounds were still trying to close themselves, to heal, and then Itachi had thrown salt on them. It would not have been so bad if what he had said was not true, but the fact of the matter was, he had not been lying. She was blinded, and she had failed to realize Sasuke's feeling for her were never enough to make him alter his path.

For someone as sensible as Itachi to tell her this made Sakura feel like an ignorant child, completely oblivious of the world she was living in. Perhaps she was, but she would much rather liked remaining ignorant than to be made aware. She had been in her own world for the majority of her life, and this alternate dimension only existing in her mind had followed her in death. It was unhealthy, and Itachi was right in thinking she needed help. Though assistance was necessary, she could never accept it from him.

She had to get through this somehow, Sakura told herself. Now that she knew there was a problem, she could resolve it on her own. Even if she could not, Sakura was resolved in not turning to Itachi for support. She needed someone who had the same obsession at one point, someone who understood.

For the time being, however, Sakura would try to fix things on her own. Sakura could not let her mind wander any longer, she could not be allowed to think of Sasuke. This may be difficult, with Itachi around; whenever she was Itachi's face, she could not help but to be reminded of his younger brother. They looked so similar to each other that it could have been considered scary.

However, Itachi's features were much more subtle than Sasuke's. Sasuke was both hard and soft at the same time, a paradoxical mix of calmness and burning hatred. Itachi was more in control of his emotions, his expressions rarely revealing how he truly felt. There was a certain confidence around him, and then the aura of piece he was constantly surrounded by.

Sasuke's features were much more masculine than Itachi's, his jaw square and cheekbones high. Even when he was being utterly consumed by darkness, he looked handsome. Absentmindedly, Sakura wondered what their kids would have looked like. They would have probably taken after their father, she guessed, with his dominant Uchiha genes. Sakura could almost see them; a small boy with a mess of black hair and smoldering dark eyes, a baby girl with a wide forehead and burning charcoal eyes. Good, strong children, taking right after their father. They would have been a happy family.

Sakura had to shake her head, scattering those betraying thoughts. Those children would never exist, she chided. She had to get out of that room, away from the emptiness. Her mind could not be trusted when she was alone.

Sakura left the room abruptly, not trusting herself to remain sane when she was alone. Not thinking about Sasuke and what should have been was going to prove itself difficult, but she had to step up to the challenge. Her very mentality relied upon it. Sasuke had to be forgotten, no matter what the cost. Sakura could not keep wallowing in self pity because of the sick twist of fate she was put through, and she knew what it took to end it all. She needed to move on from Sasuke, and learn to cope with her lost, even put it behind her. Sasuke had moved on before she had even died, and now she had to do the same.

**AN: Thank you for reading, I am sorry it took so long to update. At least it felt like a long time.... Anyway, please review!!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Sakura shifted slightly, turning to face her sleeping lover. Cautiously, as to not wake him, she ran a steady hand through his mess of spiky, black hair. Normally, she was the one to fall asleep at night, but it was different this time. He had made love to her as sweetly and heatedly as always, but this time, as they had basked in after-sex glory, he had finally asked her. He had practically demanded that she became his wife. _

_She had cried, much to his bewilderment, and feverishly agreed. Then they had continued to lay in each other's arms, neither of them ashamed of their nakedness. Eventually, Sasuke had fallen asleep, leaving her to think. It was simply amazing. A small part of her was still shocked that Sasuke had apologized to her upon his return to Konoha for leaving for Orochimaru. That had happened over a year ago, and she still could not get over it. To think that he had loved her the entire time he had been away; it was astounding. Now, after almost eighteen years of her longing for it, Sasuke had decided to make her his wife. It was enthralling, simply wonderful._

_Never before had she felt so completely happy, it was better than the day he had apologized, and even better than their first kiss, and the first time he had made love to her. He truly loved her, enough to trust her with conceiving his children. Sasuke said it had always been her, she was the one he had chosen to carry on the Uchiha line with, even before he had left Konoha. For years, he had been planning this._

_..._

_There was a determined tug on Sakura's vest, drawing her attention downward. Her four year old son stood there, looking up at her through dark, beautiful eyes. As perceptive as always, little Takumi was concerned. He seemed to sense her slight nervousness. A flash of red went through his eyes, and he looked at her abdomen in confusion. _

"_Kaa-san, are you all right? Your chakra... it is different." He asked, reaching bout of his tiny, chubby hands to feel her stomach. Sakura sighed, she should have known her little protege of a son would have seen her irregular cycling of chakra forming in her womb._

"_Kaa-san has a little surprise for Tou-san. She is just worried about his reaction." She whispered to Takumi. He glared at the little bundle of chakra, still not understanding. _

"_What is the surprise?" _

_Sakura smiled down at her son, and gently pet his head of tousled, black hair. "I will tell you later, Takumi-chan. Now go play with your friends."_

_He scowled for a second, but then nodded his head, and ran from the living room. She sighed, until she heard her son, still on his way out, run into his father. She heard, with great dread, as little Takumi said, "Tou-san, Kaa-san's tummy looks funny. I think she is scared about it." _

_So much for surprises, Sakura supposed. She did not get to hear what Sasuke said in response to this, and shortly after, her husband entered the room._

_Sasuke had been gone for a mont and a half on a long-distance mission, and he finally had returned. Sakura, he quickly saw, was well into her second pregnancy. He did not need Sharingan to tell, the slight roundness of her stomach was enough to give her away instantly._

"_When was it?" He asked, smiling softly and pulling her into a careful hug._

"_It was on out anniversary, of that I am certain." She murmured, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. His eyes widened, recalling that night, and knowing it had been almost three months previous. She must have found out days within his departure._

"_I love you, Sakura." He muttered into her hair, then kissing her forehead._

Sakura woke with a start, her blankets pooled at her hips, and her body covered in a cold sweat. It had been three weeks since she had decided that she needed to forget Sasuke, and every night since making that decision, she had the same two dreams. She could control what she thought about during the day, but when she slept, it was impossible. Her heart still wanted Sasuke.

Tears pricking at her eyes, Sakura stumbled out of her room, not trusting herself to go back to sleep. Not bothering to be stealthy, she wandered down the hall, past Karin's room, and then past Itachi's, until she reached the kitchen. She was throughly exhausted, but there was nothing else to do but make herself some tea.

Despite her utter betrayal, Karin had stayed faithful, always careful of what she said and always kindly staying by her side, just as Ino had when Sasuke abandoned Konoha. It was strange how many times Sakura kept comparing people she now know to those from her life. Karin to Ino, Deidara to Naruto, and Itachi to Sasuke. It was sick, twisted, but she could not help but to think of them; her three precious people.

Itachi woke to the sound of Sakura stumbling down the hall past his room, as he had for the past three weeks. And as he had done for that time, he rolled out of bed, threw on a tee shirt, and went to the door. As always, there was a trail of tears left in her wake. He followed the path, until he found himself standing outside of the kitchen, like every night he had for the past three weeks. Like every other night before, Itachi silently slumped to the floor out of view from the archway leading into the kitchen. Her broken, choked sobs sounded through the walls, torturing him.

She must have had the dreams again, he sighed to himself. Itachi wanted to go in there, to hold her as her cries shook her entire body, but it was apparent that she did not wish for him to assist him whatsoever. He was there though, in case she sensed him sitting just outside, listening as she weeped.

After three days of doing just as he was then, Itachi had gone to Karin for an explanation. She had been gracious enough to give him a proper response, and told him about the two reoccurring dreams.

She was being stubborn, and he knew this very well. Sakura needed more help than she was willing to ask for; her pride was almost as high ranking as any average Uchiha. Karin was being nothing but amiable about the entire situation, but with each passing night of waking up to Sakura's sobs, it became clear that she was not enough. As tempting as it was, he could not go into that kitchen, take her into his arms, and hush away her nightmares. Sakura had to approach him first, and until that happened, he would stay away, just as he promised.

After a long time of Itachi sitting, enduring his inner turmoil, her wails subsided, until there was nothing to be heard at all. His back sore from sitting on the hard floor for several hours on end, Itachi stretched, then got to his feet. Tentatively, he entered the still kitchen, finding Sakura fast asleep, her head against the table and her hand still loosely grasping an untouched cup of tea. Carefully, he took the cup and poured its contents down the sink.

Cautious, as to not wake her, Itachi wrapped both arms around her, and lifted her from the table. She was so burned out that, despite her kunoichi instincts, she did not so much as shift at his gentle hold. As always, he carried her down the hall, listening only to her fretful sleep and the pad of his feet on the hardwood floor as he slowly walked. Concern etched into his face, Itachi looked down at her.

For the first time, she began to thrash in his arms, trying to resist her nightmares. Try as much as he did, Itachi could not properly restrain her feverish movements and walk at the same time. Sakura's eyes flashed opened once more. She did not ask why he was carrying her, but instead acted. In desperation, she reached out to him, searching for comfort. He was so surprised that he let them both slump to the ground.

Itachi watched in amazement as she clutched onto him in a hold almost too strong for him to loosen. With great effort, he freed both of his arms to wrap them around her. She squeezed harder and harder, until it was almost painful. Itachi sat patiently with her, enduring her deathly tight hold until her strength gave out. She collapsed against him, her chest still heaving with strangled sobbing.

"He killed me! so why? Why do I keep doing this to myself?" She asked frantically, clenching his shirt in hardened fists. To this question, Itachi had to think to fabricate an acceptable answer.

"You think that holding in these feelings will help you move on, but you are wrong. What you need is to let it all out, or the pressure of compressing your emotions will build up, and break you down when it is too much to handle." He whispered, rubbing his hand into her back in soothing circles. She whimpered to herself softly.

"He will never leave me alone. He will not even let me sleep at night. I hate him so much, but I still wish my dreams were reality."

Itachi listened to what she said without judgement. She was hurting, and fixing her was more important than anything else. He understood her want to keep her problems to herself, but it was not going to help her at all. During his short, miserable life, he wished there had been someone to listen to how he felt. There had not been though, and he had only allowed himself to cry once, the night when everything in his life was turned upside-down. No one had been there then; everyone who mattered was dead, besides Sasuke. By then, Sasuke had hated him with a vengeance, and he was a renegade for what he was ordered to do.

Sakura was lucky to be surrounded by people who cared. There was himself, and Karin, and occasionally Deidara, who had taken on the responsibility of being a therapist. If he had been allowed to let his emotions out of the bottle it had been tightly corked into, things would have been different. He would not have been consumed by that awful disease he had brought upon himself from stress and misery. He could have gone years without any physical pain, with only emotional scars to deal with.

Sakura fell back into a fitful sleep, tormented by premonitions of what should have been. Itachi did not blame her for succumbing to slumber, she had to be tired after waking up every night to cry. He knew he was, and he was not the one being tortured by favorable dreams. With her laying limply in his arms, Itachi got back to his feet, and with no further interruption, brought her back to her room.

With Sakura laying back in her futon, Itachi settled himself against a wall across from her, with every intention to stay in case she woke again. He gazed at her face studiously, seeing that she was far from being at peace. Her face, while always beautiful, was scrunched up in absolute pain and grief. Every once and a while, a lone tear would drip down her nose, leaving a small stain on her pristine, white pillowcase.

After an out of her sleeping, Itachi dozed off, still leaning against her wall in a constant guard. If she woke, his instincts would wake him as well; he would be there for her when she needed it.

Sakura's eyes shot open, thankful to find that the night was finally through. Already, she could feel the dread in preparation for the next almost sleepless night. She sat up, letting the blankets covering her fall to her lap, and was surprised to find Itachi opposite of her, fast asleep and leaning on the wall. However, with the soft sounds of her sitting up, she slowly shifted. Awake, their eyes met. Much to Itachi's bewilderment, Sakura awkwardly got down to her hands and knees, and bowed.

"I apologize for last night. I should not have been so loud as to wake you, and should not have attacked you with my emotions. Thank you for returning me to my room, but you should not have stayed. I know the floor cannot have been comfortable." She said, guilt hinting at her overused voice.

"There is no need for you to apologize. I imagine you are more tired than I." He murmured, stretching as he stood on his feet. She glanced at him through her pink hair, still bowing. Sakura noted how his black sweatpants just barely hung on his hips. She wondered if he was eating enough, or if it was even possible to lose weight while being dead.

"Still, it was unnecessary for you to do that for me. I am thankful you did." She replied. He held his hand out, which she took, and Itachi helped her up into a standing position.

"Sakura, if I had any objection to bringing you back to bed, I would have approached you on the matter three weeks ago."

Sakura's eyes widened, and a deep blush teased her cheeks at this realization. She was not sure why, but she never thought much about her waking up every morning, tucked safely into her futon, while she had fallen asleep at the kitchen table. Both concerned and embarrassed, Sakura looked into Itachi's face. She found the dark, bruise-like shadows under his eyes to be much more pronounced, no doubt from lack of sleep. Every night she had stayed up, crying to herself, he had stayed up too, waiting for her to fall asleep so he could return her to her bed.

"I am a monster, am I not? Not only am I doing this to myself, but I am doing it to you too." Sakura mumbled, looking away in shame. Itachi clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"You are not a monster, Sakura. It took me years to come to terms with what I had done, but I had not had the great fortune of having someone that cared. I wish someone _had_ stayed up with me all night, even if they had never said a thing to me." He reprimanded, using a finger to turn her face back to him.

"Besides, I did this on my own. You never asked me to stay with you, I chose to. Do not feel guilty for something you cannot control." Itachi continued. Sakura nodded her head to agree with him. A part of her wondered how he had gotten so wise.

"You were right, you know. I was blinded, and somehow, you had the insight to see that. I do not want to be blinded by my feelings for Sasuke, and I am trying to do better , but my dreams are not something I can control." Tears threatened to spill as she spoke, and her shoulders hunched forward while her head hung, hiding her face from view effectively.

"Do not doubt yourself, koishii. You are not defeated yet, and I still believe you can conquer this." Itachi murmured, his velvety tenor tickling her ear. Just as she had done last night, Sakura reached for him as the tears began to fall and the wails broke free from her throat. Both amazed and sympathetic for her actions, Itachi tied his arms around her, pulling Sakura's small, shaking figure into him.

Sakura felt pathetic for crying like a child again, but it was liberating. She felt somehow free from something that had been holding her back. She had been guilty about pushing her problems on Karin, even though she never complained. Itachi had always been there, waiting for her to get over her pride so he could help. Understanding why he wanted to help her was unimportant, all that truly mattered was that he was willing to listen as she cried.

"I am here, koishii. I am always here." he said soothingly. Sakura blinked at the endearment he had given her, realizing it was not the first time being called that by him. Koishii. _Darling_. She was undeserving of such high regard, with the way she had treated him.

"There is nothing about me that is endearing, Itachi. I am a terrible person, and a pitiful kunoichi." Sakura whimpered, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. Itachi shook his head, readily disagreeing with how she was abusing herself. It seemed that she could not see herself either, or she would have known how wonderful she really was.

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?" He asked cryptically in a soft voice. Sakura sighed sadly. "A mess."

"You are too pessimistic, koishii." He hummed scoldingly. She knew he was right, she was rather negative. That was half of her problem. It was her negativity that made her think about that she would never be happy without Sasuke, and that without him, she had nothing to exist for. Though her mind knew this was not true, her emotions could not agree.

"I know. I wish I was more of an optimist, but after... after team seven was torn apart, it was hard to remain positive." Sakura whispered, only faltering slightly. She had almost said _his_ name, which was unacceptable. Itachi saw this, and it did not take much to figure what she had edited out. Whether it be for her benefit or his, she was avoiding saying Sasuke's name aloud. At least she was making a conscience effort to change her actions; that in itself was a big step to take alone.

"You are brave, koishii, for trying to take this on your own, but it is unnecessary. We want to help you, to see you better." Itachi sighed as her tears stopped falling. She looked up at him weakly, and after seeing the apprehensiveness in his onyx eyes, Sakura nodded her head in affirmation.

"Go take a shower and relax. I will make breakfast for you in your stead." He finally said, slowly pulling himself away. She smiled gratefully, and watched as she left the room. She left as well shortly after, heading straight for the bath for some quality relaxation.

Karin breathed out slowly, sliding into one of the couches in the open living room. Deidara sat opposite of her, scrutinizing her weary actions carefully. Karin had not slept well the night previous, undoubtedly because Sakura had been crying right outside her sliding door. Itachi had been comforting her, she knew, and this fact still distressed her.

"Orochimaru is planning something, you know." She said, looking up from her lap to Deidara's sky blue eyes. He snorted, supposing that he was utterly unsurprised by this new tidbit of information.

"When is that fag-lord not planing something devious?" He asked back rhetorically. Karin rolled her eyes, knowing he was right. Orochimaru always had some sort of scheme brewing, whether it be to get a hold of fresh Sharingan or to come back to life. She had the nudging feeling in the back of her head that told her his new ploy was going to involve both of these.

"Yes, but this involves Sakura." Karin told him. He grimaced, not liking the idea of that snake of a man getting anywhere near Sakura and her emotional mess.

"You only care about her because of what Itachi told you to do, un. From what I can tell, Uchiha can take protect his little girl well enough." Deidara grumbled. He was, if he was completely honest, tired of hearing about that stuck up Uchiha and his newly discovered hormones.

"Yes, but then Itachi-kun will be angry with me!" She retorted, reaching over to throw an abandoned scroll at his head. He sighed, staring at her indifferently as he inched over a second in time for it to pass by his head. Karin was such a violent, ill-tempered kunoichi, he could not help but to think.

"I honestly do not think he gives a flying fuck what you do, un. I am the one with years of training in psychiatry, remember?" Deidara said in nonchalance, waving his hand around lazily.

Karin pouted. "Years of training, my ass. I bet you cannot even read, dipshit!" She yelled, throwing another scroll that had been laying on the coffee table between them. Again, he dodged not a moment too soon.

"Well, you keep acting like I am your psychiatrist, un. And I _can_ read, for your information." He countered. She flushed, stood up, smacked him upside the head, and then left the room abruptly. Deidara was left to grumble on how women were so unreasonable, Karin in particular.

The day was almost eerily silent, and neither Orochimaru nor Danzo showed their face until dinner. Since Itachi had been so kind to make breakfast in her place, Sakura took it upon herself to cook dinner instead. She impressed everyone in the group by serving a full meal consisting of salmon sashimi, grilled eel, pickled vegetables, vegetable tempura, miso soup, and of course, rice. What had pleased Itachi the most, however, was the mitarashi dango that she made for afterwards. It was quickly decided that Sakura should make dinner instead of breakfast, since she had made such an extraordinary meal.

After the dishes were all cleared and taken care of, everyone besides Orochimaru and Danzo retired into the living room for the evening. Sakura was tired, and Itachi saw this very clearly, but he did not say anything, knowing why she did not go to bed on her own. She was afraid of the reoccurring dreams, and would rather not be alone to face the again.

"Damn, that was a good dinner, un." Deidara huffed, flopping himself onto a free spot on the couch, rubbing his overfilled stomach. "You should get a few lessons from her, Karin." He continued snidely. Karin blushed at his remark, and taking it as an insult, grabbed the closest thing to her (which just so happened to be a heavy lamp) and threw it at the offending terrorist. He ducked just in time.

"Hey! That could have seriously hurt me, un!" He shouted after the glass shattered on the wall. "And now we do not have a lamp either!" He added as an after thought. She grumbled something incoherently, but Sakura was sure she said something about how there would be another lamp there the next morning.

"I would have healed you if there was any blood." Sakura interjected. If it was only a bump though... he would have to suffer for being such a notorious pain in the ass. It was not fair of him to taunt Karin merely because she was a lesser cook than she.

"See, there you go. It is not as if you could have died again anyway, even if Sakura was not around." Karin stuck her tongue out. Deidara rolled his eyes at her immaturity, while Itachi watched the entire scene unfold with amusement. Observing people in their element was something he found entertaining, though most thought it to be strange or creepy. He, personally, did not care what anyone thought about his pastimes.

It was not long, after Karin and Deidara had gotten their bickering out of their systems, before Sakura drifted into slumber so deeply that even if they did start yelling again, she would not stir. Itachi got up from the couch he had been sitting at and took the responsibility of putting her to bed. He picked her up from the armchair she was curled up in, and wordlessly carried her down the hall to her room.

He was silently glad that she looked more at peace when she slept this time, and hoped as he rolled out her futon and placed her in it, that she would have sweet dreams. Sakura needed rest, and as long as those dreams did not show, then she would sleep the night through. Itachi gently kissed both of her shut eyelids before covering her with blankets and leaving the room.

When Sakura stirred, it was not because of any nightmare, but because of discomfort. She pulled the thick blankets off her, and realized why. She had gone to bed with her clothes still on. Huffing to herself, Sakura plodded to her closet and grabbed the white kimono she usually wore to bed. She stripped completely, not caring enough to put her day clothes in their proper home, and wrapped the soft material around herself. Comfortable again, she trudged back to her futon, and quickly fell back asleep.

They came back with a force, both of the dreams playing out vividly in more detail. She could have memorized every taut muscle of Sasuke's chest under her fingers, and counted all of the hairs on her son's head in the agonizingly long amount of time it took for them each to end. When she jumped up, instantly awake, Sakura wanted to claw her own eyes out, just to rid her mind of the visions she kept receiving.

Sakura was almost frantic, needing to rid herself of these nightmares. She had to do something drastic, something to get her mind off Sasuke. Desperate for help, and for healing, she could only think of one thing to do. Go to Itachi. He said he would mend her, put the broken pieces back together, and that was what she needed.

His door quietly slid open, but it was enough to wake him up. Itachi slowly opened his eyes to see Sakura standing there. She closed the door behind her, and stood in the middle of the room. Itachi sat up, and being throughly concerned, had been about to ask her what was wrong, when she spoke.

"Fix me, Itachi." She said hollowly, uncrossing her arms and letting the kimono she had been wearing fall to the floor. Itachi did all he could not to gape at her bare form.

"Fix me." She repeated.

**AN: OOOH~ what's gonna happen? Hmmm.... give me lots-o-reviews, and I might be nice! ^^**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I have been told over the course of this story that Itachi is a little OC. I will kindly remind you that this is **_**my**_** fanfic, and so I am allowed to change him a little. *pouts* I guess I should explain this though. I always saw Itachi as being a somewhat quiet, gentle sort of person, which when comparing to Sasuke's harsh, demanding and cold character, makes him a good match for Sakura. I wanted him to be caring and supportive of Sakura in this story, which is why he may seem a little out of character. Still, keep in mind that during his life, he actually was (in his strange way) a caring person, he just was not allowed to show it. Now that he is dead, he has no reason to hide who he really is anymore. If you read this note, thanks, if not... well, I guess that is your problem. On with the story!**

Itachi stared at her in shock, disbelief written all over his face. He threw his blanket off, sitting up and preparing to stand so he could get her covered again. She apparently thought that if they had sex, she would feel better. He understood her desperation, but also knew that what she wanted was wrong. If he let himself take advantage of her, even if Sakura was the one to tell him to, he would hate himself in the morning, and she would hate him even more.

This was not how it was supposed to be; surely she realized this as well. He stood, then taking a step closer, only to have himself pushed back onto the bed. Itachi watched in shell-shocked amazement as Sakura pressed his shoulders down, until he was laying fully on the bed. Sakura swung a leg on either side of him, straddling him effectively while running sultry hands over the taut muscles of his bare chest. It was a lie to say he was not tempted to do as she wished, and take her right then and there, but Itachi knew he had to remain impervious to her actions.

"I know this is what you want, Itachi. Just do it already. Make love to me." She whispered, her voice shaky. Despite her apparent nervousness and clear pain, she ground herself into his crotch determinedly. Itachi would have to have been lying if he said he did not enjoy it. It was because of the pleasure it gave him that he glared up at her for a second, but after seeing the brokenness in her eyes, he could not remain angry with her. She was confused, so he had to set her straight.

"I most certainly do not want this, Sakura. This would not be making love, it would be a bad excuse to fuck." He said with as much indifference as he could muster. She stilled for a second, letting his words sink in, before taking both of his hands, and continuing to twist her hips in lithe motions. She pulled them both up, until placing them on either breast. Sakura pressed them harshly against herself, her nipples perking from both his chilled hands and anticipation.

"I need this, Itachi. Do this for me, please?" She begged, holding his hands in place and leaning down to take his lips. She was so desperate, so in need, but he had to resist the temptation. He promised her that when she allowed him to, he would help her, would _fix_ her, but this was not what he had meant. Taking control of the situation, Itachi flipped them over, so she was on her back and he was looming over her. She gasped, no doubt surprised by his forward actions.

"Is this what you really wish for, Sakura? For me to fuck you as hard as I can?" He asked, pressing their bodies together. Somehow to prove a point, he rubbed back, and then squeezed the soft breasts she had already filled his hands with. She was almost certain he would give in, with his roaring hormones. It was sad how little it took to get something from a man. Sakura had to tell herself it did not matter whatever the case. Eyes filling with tears, she answered him.

"You want this as much as I require it. Call it whatever you want; making love, having sex, or even simply fucking, it is all the same medically."

Itachi shook his head to disagree. It was not the same, and this was something she needed to comprehend. "It is not the same, Sakura. When two people make love to each other, it should be something sacred, something pure. It is a way that people connect with one another, not only on a physical level, but emotional. When two people fuck, there is no attachment, no feeling for one another, just pent up frustration. I do not want that for you, I will not taint you, koishii."

"Frustration is all that I have, Itachi! I cannot stand to feel so empty, so hollow. Fill me, make me feel alive again, that is all I ask for. I do not care what you want to call it, but take me!" Sakura retorted, pulling him down for a second kiss. He, having the advantage of strength, pulled upward away from her lips. The temptation to do as she pleaded was hard enough to ignore with the skin on skin contact they held at that moment. If he allowed her to kiss him, he might actually give into her demands. If that happened, their relationship would never progress into something more substantial.

"No, koishii. If we ever do this, it will not be now, and not how you think you want it. It is not supposed to be like this." Itachi said, getting off her. Sakura was somewhat surprised by what he said, and for a second, missed the warmth he provided. She looked up at him, begging for him to give in, for him to make her feel things she had never experienced. He met her eyes with his own dark ones, his expression unrelenting. For the second time in Sakura's existence, she felt utterly rejected.

Sakura knew that this was not what Itachi had intended her to feel, but she did. She felt that he did not want to touch her, did not want to even look in her direction. In this case, she could not blame him; she was a complete mess. Sakura herself would not want to even look in the mirror.

Itachi watched as she completely broke down, crying her heart out into his chest, clutching him with no immediate intention in letting go. He did not object, he had just confused her more than Sasuke ever had, and she needed some type of consultation. His brother had failed in this part, and he refused to do the same. Sasuke had ignored her, had left her behind when what she truly needed was for someone to stay next to her, whisper sweet words softly into her hair as she lay torn apart.

Her strength subsided, and Itachi pulled Sakura to her feet, then led her to the middle of the room, where her kimono lay on the floor. He stooped down to pick it up, and seeing her disconnected facial expression, Itachi wrapped the material around her naked form, and then retied her obi. They both stood there for a few moments, neither of them sure of what to say.

"Do not make me leave, Itachi. I cannot go back to that room alone." She whimpered, crossing arms over her chest protectively. Sakura felt so ashamed, so dirty, considering what she had just done. It was so wrong of her to go to Itachi and demand sex. Her gratitude for him overflowed; she was glad he had not done as she begged. Sakura would not have regretted it that night, but in the morning, she would have felt it with full force.

She should have disregarded what she learned as a kunoichi when she was younger, ever since she got here. From a young age, all the girls had been taught that sex was just something they could use against men to complete missions, or to find some sort of self satisfaction. For some reason, she had grouped Itachi with every other man in existence, something she obviously should not have done. It was clear that he did not have such a skewed view of sex, and apparently, she did instead.

For one reason or another, Sakura had always thought that if it was not with Sasuke, then it would not be real. She did not know how she had not tripped and fallen on her face before this, with how bad her vision of everything was. Now she realized, sex, no matter who it was with, should be a thing of beauty, almost a work of art. Sasuke surely was not the only one capable of making something like sex magnificent.

"I would not dare think of it. Come here, koishii." He said, holding his arms out for her. Still hugging herself, Sakura took the short steps between them and let Itachi hold her in his arms. Slowly, he leaned into her, resting his cheek on her crown of her head. Her head found its place in the crook of his neck, and he hummed to her softly as tears trailed down her face, rocking them back and forth in a comforting rhythm.

She tired soon enough, and Itachi lightly tugged her to the bed. Sakura did not resist his actions as he laid her down, and then as he crawled under the covers next to her. Itachi was careful to keep a defined distance between them. Sakura silently turned to the side away from him, trying to find the most relaxing position she could, but with Itachi giving her an accommodating amount of room, she felt anxious.

"Hold me, Itachi." He heard her whisper. Itachi did not answer to her request, but instead did as she wished. This much he could give her, and not be overcome by whatever desire he held for the woman. In tentatively slow motions, Itachi placed an arm in the dipping curve of her side, his hand meeting her stomach and then pulling her into him. Sakura's tense body set itself at ease with the feeling of his protective warmth encircle her in all of his entirety. Sleep overtook her, and dreams did not wake her.

"Goodnight, koishii." Itachi breathed, kissing her shoulder cautiously, as to not wake her. For a long time he laid next to Sakura, listening to her quiet breathing, and staring at her tired form. It was so foreign, having someone asleep in his arms, being so close to someone that he could hear her heart beating. He welcomed it, and once familiarized with the new sensation, he let himself nod off.

It was too early, Itachi wanted to complain, when he woke. He froze for a moment, feeling the soft figure in his arms, until he recalled the night, and how Sakura had stayed with him. More to himself than anyone else, Itachi smiled down at her mess of pink hair, now creating a halo around her head on his pillow. He slipped his arm out from under her warily, then sat up silently. She was more exhausted than ever, it seemed, and so he left her to sleep.

Itachi closed the door behind him as he snuck out of the room, and made his way to the bathroom for a shower. No one else was up, which he was thankful for, he needed the peace if he was ever going to mull over the previous evening's events.

Sakura woke up alone, though she still could detect Itachi's warmth in the sheets next to her. Heat rushed to her face at remembering what she had done the night before. Unable to look around the room, to tell herself that she was a whore for the actions she took last night, Sakura shifted onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.

She had only been right about one thing that night, she needed Itachi there. After falling asleep in his arms, the torturous dreams had not come back to torment her. She had so much to thank him for, though she doubted her pride would ever allow her to voice what she needed to tell him.

Without her noticing it, Itachi's door slid open. "Good morning, koishii. How did you sleep?" A velvety smooth tenor called to Sakura, and she shot up into a sitting position in surprise, then her head whipped around to look at the owner of the voice. She swallowed dryly at what she saw.

Itachi stood calmly, almost flaunting his bare chest. He was wearing another pair of black sweatpants, and Sakura gulped at seeing how lowly they hung on his hips. Her eyes followed the trail of small black hairs leading from below his pants line up to his navel. There was so much pale skin, with muscles faintly rippling underneath, and she sensed her cheeks reddening at the sight of him. It was ridiculous how she was acting, she had seen him with only a towel on before, and she had not reacted like this. As a medic, she had seen plenty of good looking men without shirts on, but it was somehow different this time.

"I-I slept better this time, thank y-you." She stuttered, turning her head away. Pretending not to understand why she was so embarrassed, Itachi took out a tee from his dresser, and pulled it on over his head. Inwardly, he was rather pleased by her modesty. It was somewhat paradoxical of her, considering what she had demanded of him the night previous.

"I am glad to hear it. Is it safe to assume you are in want of a shower?" He asked, his voice flowing. Her face still tinted pink, she turned back to look at him, and she nodded her head in affirmation. Sure that her kimono was still covering her properly, Sakura tumbled out of his bed, then bowed her head to him. He clicked his tongue in disapproval, and she faced him fully.

"I suppose I will see you later." She mumbled, kissing his cheek. She silently prayed he got her message, that she had somehow relayed to him how grateful she was for what he did for her. He seemed to understand, because when she looked back up into his face, she saw the corners of his mouth slightly upturning. With that, Sakura left his room.

Not five minutes after she had left, there was a knock on Itachi's door. He assumed that it was Sakura, and that she had somehow forgotten something, and so he went to answer it. He was slightly disappointed to see Karin standing there instead, though he did not let this show on his face.

"Have you seen Sakura? I cannot find her anywhere." She whined in her high pitched voice. The very sound grounded on Itachi's ears. A glare immediately set in, and for a moment, he said nothing at all. When he was certain that he was not irritated enough with the annoying female to dislodge her head from her shoulders, he replied.

"She just left a moment ago." Itachi grunted in response. She blinked up at him for a moment, attempting to comprehend what exactly that meant. When she discovered its meaning, she had to hold back a shocked gasp. If Sakura had been with Itachi so early in the morning, then that must have meant that she had spent the night in his bedroom. Karin was certain that their night had not been spent innocently with each other.

"Sakura spent the night." She uttered unthinkingly. Itachi's eye twitched, a dangerous sign to be sure, but it went unnoticed by the redhead kunoichi. She was too consumed in her own world to feel the aggravation rolling off Itachi in thick enough waves to be cut with a knife. She also failed to see how tightly his fists were clenched, wishing emmencely to grasp her frail, unprotected neck.

"I do not see how that is any of your business." Itachi stated coldly. He was naturally not a violent person, but it seemed that Karin brought the worst out of him. Normally, he did not even think of killing people, and he preferred peaceful solutions to problems, but this was not so with the infuriating kunoichi.

"Sorry, Itachi. I will go." She bowed quickly, then turned down the hall in record speed. It appeared that she finally sensed his aversion, and had decided to run for the hills, Itachi mused. All for the better, he concluded. Karin was nothing but a sore in anyone's side.

Karin was rash, violent, and generally, had a bad attitude. Itachi, of course, failed to remember that Sakura often times had these attributes as well, though in his vantage point, her other qualities made up for that. She had a certain elegance about her that Karin clearly lacked, and unlike most shinobi, she cared. She was a very caring person, even if she herself was utterly miserable.

Karin, after getting over the initial shock of discovering what Sakura had done with Itachi the night previous, stormed down the halls into the open living room. She huffed to herself, and then splayed across one of the couches, her arms still crossed. She noticed that, just as she had told Deidara it would, there was a new lamp in the living room, and the glass was gone, though she knew no one bothered to clean it.

Unfortunately, she was soon joined by both Deidara and Sakura, who were snickering back and forth about something she could not hear. Wonderful, she thought exasperatedly, just the two people she wanted to see. Not. Deidara she could not care less about, but it irritated her that as soon as Sakura had fooled around with Itachi, and was now moving on to the next potential man.

"Hey, Deidara, what do you know? The lamp is back, just as I told you it would be. Everything is fine." Karin sneered, getting the blond's attention. His eyebrows furrowed at what she said, still not appeased. His opinion stayed the same, whether or not the lamp was back.

"It still could have killed me, or something." He grumbled. Karin smirked; there was nothing she loved more than grating on Deidara's nerves, since there was nothing else worthwhile to do.

"No, I could not have. I bet that if I did 'kill' you, you would be back again in the morning." Karin claimed haughtily. He gave her a dangerous glare, that gave Sakura the impression that he wanted to blow her up in a large explosion.

"What is wrong, Deidara? Are you scared to die a second time?" Sakura laughed, her teasing bringing his attention back to her, and away from Karin. He puffed up his chest in masculine pride.

"Who told you that, un? I practically killed myself fighting that Sasuke. I am not scared to die again." He boasted. Sakura keeled over with laughter, which Deidara tried to understand. Karin watched this unfold, not liking that she had lost the center stage to another girl.

"Personally, Deidara, I do not think it is medically possible to die twice. Otherwise, Danzo would not be here. He would have succeeded with suicide long ago, and be in some other unfortunate place." Sakura said, trying to keep a straight face. Deidara snorted at her observation, which set off her laughter. He soon joined in, and the two collapsed on opposite couches. A minute or so later, Danzo himself entered the room, which caused a whole other laughing fit.

Karin sat silently, her arms tightly crossed against her chest still, and her lips pursed. Sakura seemed to have a much better mood than the day before, which she could only guess was triggered by one thing. Anyone who had been fucked so hard by Uchiha Itachi that the foundation shook would be emmencely happy the next day. As subtly as Karin could, she glared at Sakura. This was hardly conspicuous, and so Sakura caught on quickly enough.

"Are you angry with me for something, Karin?" Sakura asked curiously, feeling slightly confused. She could think of nothing she did to enrage Karin, so she wondered what was upsetting the girl.

"I am disgusted. Itachi fucks your brains out last night, and here you are, flirting with Deidara. It is sickening!" She replied with a shrill. Both Sakura and Deidara gasped in shock, and Sakura feels her face go red. She wondered if Karin had somehow been going past Itachi's room the night previous, and heard her demands.

"Uchiha got laid? I was sure he was asexual, un!" Deidara half-yelled. Karin gave him a pointed look, that said that the argument was between her and Sakura, and that he should not butt in.

"First off, Itachi and I never had sex! Second, just because I am talking with someone of the opposite gender, does not mean I am flirting with them!" Sakura wailed. Karin looked unconvinced.

"Then what were you doing in his bedroom last night? Having a nice little conversation?" Karin retorted, still feeling hurt. Sakura sucked in quickly. What she had done was not nice, nor was it innocent, but they certainly did not have sex.

"Wow, I did not think that Uchiha had it in him, un." Deidara commented offhandedly. Both kunoichi glared at him this time.

"I had those dreams again. Instead of going to the kitchen, I went to Itachi. I ended up falling asleep there." What Sakura said was not a lie, but it was not the whole entire story either. Karin did not need to know how Sakura had failed at seducing Itachi, and how she had pathetically cried into his chest for a good hour.

"Never would have thought of Itachi for comfort, un. I guess Uchiha really is asexual." Deidara snickered.

"A common misconception." They heard from entrance. Everyone in the group turned to see Itachi there, and they watched as he took a seat near Sakura. She wondered how much of the conversation he had heard. She hoped that Itachi had not heard about Karin's accusation. "I am a human male, and despite popular belief, I possess a healthy number of hormones." He continued tiredly, sending Karin a warning glance.

"Fine, Uchiha must be gay then." Deidara said without thinking. He recieved a well deserved smack from Karin for his unwanted comment. Everyone knew he had only said it to rile up Itachi, and he was not one to fall for the taunting.

"Deidara, is it not your morning to prepare breakfast?" Itachi finally asked smoothly as the room quieted. He seemed to bring a calming aura with him wherever he went, Sakura thought. Deidara grumbled something under his breath, but left to cook something to eat. Karin left as well, saying something about needing a shower. This left Sakura alone with Itachi, besides Danzo.

"I want to thank you again, Itachi, for stopping me last night. It was really stupid, what I tried to pull." Sakura whispered, somewhat afraid to look in his direction. She felt even more gratitude after the talk with Karin. If she really had sex with Itachi the night previous, her guilt for lying would have been immeasurable.

"Think nothing of it, koishii." He answered softly, pulling out a blank covered, black bound book, and opening it to somewhere in the middle. Sakura smiled at the endearment. It appeared that she was getting used to being called that by him, unthinkable as it was. She did not even imagine Sasuke calling her by such a nickname.

After visiting Itachi last night, she had slept so much easier, and because of that she felt much better during the day, but Sakura was slightly concerned over what would happen when evening drew near again. It was awkward to ask Itachi if she could sleep with him again, but a part of her already knew that she would not be able to sleep properly unless she did. Based on how kind he had been the night previous, Sakura had the impression that he would allow it again.

Sighing, she stood. Sakura had to do something to thank Itachi, more than just doing so verbally. She thought back to things she knew about him, trying to think of things he would like, until she got an appropriate idea. With this in mind, she went to find Karin.

Sakura knew that Karin was probably still in the shower by the time she thought of what she needed to do for Itachi, and so she headed straight to her room to wait. She stood like a sentinel, not even moving until Karin came into view. She grimaced as soon as she saw Sakura standing in front of her room, but continued anyway.

"Karin, I need something." Sakura said simply. Karin frowned, hoping that it was not something too difficult. She said nothing more, and waited for Karin to say something in response.

"What is it?" She finally replied moodily. Sakura sighed, seeing she was going to be as difficult as she could.

"I know you still have those tapes of Itachi. I need you to give me them." Sakura said slowly, waiting for the eruption. Sure enough, Karin burst with fury at the very request.

"Why the hell should I give those to _you_? Those are mine, and I am not giving them to you just so you can watch Itachi!" She shrieked, her face turning nearly purple with anger. Sakura paled; she had not thought of that interpretation for her actions. She had only intended to destroy them, or give Itachi the tapes, so he could do it himself.

"I do not want them to watch! I am doing this for Itachi's benefit, not my own!" Sakura replied indignantly. Karin blinked for a moment, then it made sense. Sakura was starting to care for Itachi, so much that she was doing 'thoughtful things' for him. For that alone, she gave up the tapes, for the sweet thought behind it. She knew that Sakura was more caring than she was, and for that, she let defeat wash over her, though she had known it would end like this from the very beginning.

**AN: Sorry, some of you thought that there was going to be a lemon in this chapter, but no. Not yet. Please review anyway! (Stop throwing those keyboards at me!)**


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura clutched the five video cassettes protectively to her chest, feeling a sense of accomplishment for successfully getting the tapes from Karin. It was certainly something that would please Itachi, and that was her only purpose for her to seize property of them. She wondered if she should leave them in his room, for him to destroy the evidence himself, or give them to him in person, already demolished entirely.

Then again, it was possible that he wanted to check the videos, to see what exactly Orochimaru and Karin had watched him doing. Perhaps she should give them to him unharmed, so he could make a full inspection of the footage. Besides, he may get some strange sort of satisfaction from utterly pulverizing the cassettes she held against her chest.

Much to her embarrassment, she came across Orochimaru on her way to Itachi, who was walking in the opposite direction as she. He gave her a strange look when seeing her overly discomforted expression, but then noticed the tapes she had in arms, and recognized them instantly. Orochimaru smirked smugly, but said nothing, continuing down the hall wordlessly.

Once she was out of view, he cackled to himself at this new circumstance, rather pleased by it. His secret plan was already set into action, and this made him simply ecstatic. This was almost as exciting as when he had given Sasuke the curse mark during the chunin exams, and this time, he knew his plan was going to be much more effective then last time. He would get his precious sharingan soon enough, as soon as Sakura was impregnated by the unknowing Uchiha.

He had done all the research; Orochimaru had checked every scroll and textbook on purgatory, and he knew it was not permanent. The pawns he was surrounded with were ignorant, thinking that they were stuck in the afterlife for all eternity, with no chance of escape. He knew better though, he knew just how he could get back into the world of the living; Sakura and Itachi were unconsciously helping him achieve his goals.

Sakura sighed once Orochimaru had turned into another hall, still feeling the familiar burn on her cheeks that came with embarrassment. He, being the one to tape them, knew what the videos were, and no doubt thought she was acting like a sick, lowly pervert, stealing the tapes from Karin to keep them to herself. She did not know why she bothered caring, his opinion of her should not have mattered. Sakura had not stolen the videos from Karin, nor had she any intention in watching them. She had been perfectly polite when asking for Karin to relinquish them to her, and she had passed the shower-spying stage when she was a genin. On top of that, she was not curious enough to see if what Karin said about Itachi was true by watching them. A small, mostly mute part of her said she was eager enough to look, but Sakura ignored it as a passing thought.

Itachi was unmoved when she returned to the living room, still holding the black, blank covered book in his lap, his eyes scanning across the pages with a lazy haze hanging over them. He looked so peaceful just then, so much so that she did not want to interrupt his reading to give him the tapes. However, she did not want to be caught still possessing them later on, or she really would be perceived as a pervert. Ruefully, she walked to stand behind him, following him along the lines in the book for a second, before he snapped it shut then looked up at her.

Her interest piqued for a second with the suspicious look he gave her, but it passed as quickly as it came. Under his calm and collected stare, she felt her mind draw blank, even if the look he gave her was rather soft for someone like him. She could already feel her lips quivering as a stutter sounded from her lips. Her weakness made her face flush deeply, which earned her a near-invisible smile from Itachi.

"I got-t the tap-pes from-m K-karin."

Itachi wanted to full out laugh. Her naivete was something he enjoyed, but not in a way that was at all cynical. He found her refreshing, and amusing in ways kunoichi like Karin never could be. Sakura had been desperate that night she came to him, willing to give up her virginity just to sooth her frustration. Generally, Sakura was modest and even shy. This sort of innocence was what made him want to throw his head back and let loose a series of heavy laughs. That, or pull her into his arms just for the sake of cuddling. She was just too damn cute for her own good.

He was not familiar with this unusual, new sensation, but knew there was not much he could do about it. It would scare her if he did either of the things he wished he could, as it was so against his outward character, and be completely unexpected. She was not completely innocent, like he wanted to think, she was still a kunoichi, no matter how modest she could be, Itachi told himself. Kunoichi had originally had one, sole purpose; the job of a female ninja was to go on seduction missions. For Sakura to be exemplar to these sort of assignments was highly unlikely.

"Thank you, koishii. It was unnecessary for you to confiscate them for me, but I cannot say how grateful I am that you did." He murmured, slipping the small book into his pocket, and then taking the small collection she had in her arms. It was slightly disturbing to see how many times Orochimaru had gotten a camera into his shower without his noticing it. It was shameful, that much was certain, if he could not sense such a simple genjutsu that had been hiding it.

"Your welcome, Itachi." She replied, briefly smiling for him and then disappearing. He watched her as she left, and then looked down at the cassettes in his hands. A large part of him wanted t o know exactly what was put onto the tape, but he had the feeling that he was better off not knowing. As long as the production of the videos did not continue, it did not matter.

He sighed softly, then left Danzo alone in the living room, not that the man cared much himself. Danzo made a point to not say anything to anyone, and no one bothered to be social with the hateful, old man. Itachi carried the pile of tapes to his room, tossing them in a heap on his bed to deal with later. When reentering the hall, Orochimaru was just passing, undoubtedly on the way to the kitchen for some sort of sustenance. The snake-like man gave him a knowing look, which he was suspicious about, but did not have time, nor inclination to address. He was much better off not knowing what the sick, twisted sannin was thinking.

Sakura was already sitting in the kitchen, nursing a cup of hot tea when Itachi entered, and he saw there were only two seats open; one beside Karin, and his koishii. It was obvious where he was going to sit, but the redhead had set herself up for disappointment when she saw him calmly take the place next to Sakura, and not-so-subtly glared at both of them.

While Sakura, too consumed in her hot tea to notice this, Itachi sensed it immediately, and sent her a warning look. Karin gulped, and tried her very best to turn invisible. Danzo, being the last to join them, took the remaining seat next to her, and Karin sank into her chair, until just her head was showing. No one bothered to give her the satisfaction of attention, and she remained this way all through breakfast.

Karin left before anyone was finished, and feeling as self-pitying and disconcerted as always, she headed straight to the bathroom. She slammed the door shut loudly enough for everyone in the kitchen to hear, and locked it violently. She was tempted take another shower, or to draw a bath, but did not feel like going through the trouble. Strangely enough, there was a CD player in the bathroom, which suited her needs. Karin turned it on, blasting _The Black-eyed Peas _to drown in the hip beats.

Sakura finished her scrambled eggs and link sausage soon after Karin's disappearance, and excused herself from the table. She sighed, heading directly to the bathroom, both to try taking a shower, and to understand what was wrong with Karin. She got to the door, and could hear the hip-hop music before even knocking the door. Her face scrunched up in disgust at the music, but she did not say anything about her opinion when her knuckles met the wood of the door.

"Karin, can I come in? I need to take a shower." Sakura asked over the music. She heard the volume go up after her simple question. She sighed, seeing Karin was going to be difficult about the situation they were given. The redhead said nothing in response, and Sakura had the sudden urge to kick the door in.

"How can I make things better if I do not know what I did wrong?" Sakura asked with a forced calm. Karin did not reply to Sakura, and remained in the bathroom. Sakura pounded her fist on the door, not adding chakra in fear of breaking it down. Neither said anything for a minute, and Sakura then realized that the girl was crying.

Suddenly, it struck her. Karin was upset about Itachi, and felt rejected. Sakura did not know what to do for this; she was pretty certain that there was nothing she _could_ do for the crying girl. The least Sakura could do was leave the girl in peace, so she could have some time to recollect herself.

With this in mind, Sakura headed down the hall to where she knew Itachi's bathroom was. She was positive that he would not mind if she took a shower in his facilities, in light of her current standing. He may knock on the door to see who was in his restroom, but nothing more than that.

Sakura did not feel that it was right for her to lock the door, it was not her bathroom after all, and so she hoped anyone who bothered her had the decency to knock. Her white kimono fell to the ground, and she turned the water on, letting it heat up beforehand. She took a few seconds to find a spare towel in a cabinet, and placed it on the toilet so she could reach for it when she finished

Puffs of steam wafted overhead, and Sakura knew that the water was to her liking. She opened the glass door into the shower, closing it behind her. The water scalded her as it trickled down her face, chest, and toned stomach. She sighed in a way that if it were taken out of context, would be deemed as inappropriate. She was too relaxed, too pleased with the warmth running down her back to care, though.

Itachi sat alone at the kitchen table, him being the last to finish. He had the tendency to eat rather slowly; he much preferred to take everything in slowly, whether it be his meal, or a good book. Itachi rushed for nothing, unless it was the most urgent of matters. He took the last sip of his now lukewarm green tea, savoring the bitter taste as it flowed down his throat. His comfort hooded eyes skimmed the empty room before he got to his feet.

After rinsing off the dirty cup, Itachi left it in the sink. It would be back in the cupboard, clean and unused before anyone returned to the kitchen for lunch. Hands shoved into the pockets to his sweatpants, Itachi made his way back to his room. He intended to inspect the footage Orochimaru made of him immediately after returning to his private quarters, and depending on what he saw, he might just have to castrate the pervert. Besides, they would be back, fully functional in the morning.

Turning past his bathroom, he paused curiously. There was water running, meaning someone was in his shower. His eyes widened in absolute horror. Orochimaru must have known that his precious videos had been confiscated by Sakura, and now had decided to film more. His jaw hardened, the only indication of his anger besides the slight twitch of his eyebrows. Itachi could not allow for this to happen; he would not let Orochimaru set up another camera.

Itachi threw open the door, expecting to find a scheming Orochimaru, chortling to himself, and rose his voice angrily. "Orochimaru, you had better have a good explanation for-

Instead, he caught Sakura under the stream of hot water, her hands reaching into her pink hair, lathering his shampoo into its wet, slightly-red tinted locks. He watched in amazement as the water rolled over the flushed skin of her breasts and then her flat stomach, and he swallowed dryly.

Sakura's eyes shot open a second after his entering, hearing his shout in shock, and did the only thing she could think of. She screamed bloody murder.

Itachi shut the door, cursing under his breath. Everyone in the complex must have heard her shriek, and would come to see what had gone amiss. He dragged his eyes away from her bare, wet form, and rubbed the bridge of his nose in distress. Sakura stumbled back in the shower, covering herself as much as she could with both hands.

She was honestly not sure why she even bothered. Itachi had seen her fully naked, just the night before, when she had made that clumsy attempt at seducing him. Now she was making feeble efforts to be sure he did not see her nude, which was impossible, after what she had done last night. He had seen _everything_ there was to look at, had even felt her. She had nothing to hide from him now.

Sakura quietly shut the water off and stood in the shower stall, shivering. Itachi looked at her without letting his eyes wander, his onyx meeting her emerald. He said nothing, but sighed softly, opening the glass door. She stood utterly still, too shocked to react to his actions. Her arms stayed crossed against her chest protectively, never moving when his hand slowly grasped her shoulder and smoothly pulled her out of the stall.

Never once letting his eyes drift down from those bright, doe-like orbs, he lifted her arms away from her chest. Itachi grabbed the spare towel set out for her, and wrapped it around her shaking, cold body. It was somewhat awkward to have someone dry her off, but she was all right with it, knowing he would not look anywhere but into her eyes.

"I apologize for intruding. I had thought it was Orochimaru in here, scheming again." Itachi muttered in embarrassment. He stepped away from her, and observed the blush donning her cheeks. Their relationship had been complicated before, because of his confession and her seducing, but now it was even more tense.

Sakura shook her head. "Karin would not let me into our bathroom. I should have asked you before using yours, instead of just doing it." She mumbled back, her eyes falling to the floor. Neither of them knowing what to say to each other, a deafening silence hung over them, thickening with every moment that passed without them talking.

With nothing to say to her, Itachi bent down to pick up the clothes she had abandoned on the floor. He handed it to her, and with a shy, uncertain smile, she accepted his kind gesture, and took it from him. He returned the smile with the same hesitance, his lips only just tilting upwards. Sakura knew for him to smile was something of a rarity, and could not help but to grin up at him, all her pearly teeth being shown off.

She should have been angry with him for getting a free peek at her when she was wet and nakedly vulnerable. Yet, she was not. He was not to blame for this, after all, it was her that was using his shower without permission. She was using his towel, his shower, his shampoo. She had not thought about it before, but now that she did, Sakura realized how intimate it was to be sharing something as personal as shampoo.

"Thank you, Itachi. I am the one who should be apologizing." Sakura said quietly. Itachi said nothing, and once she was covered enough to leave the bathroom with her kimono back on, he opened the door. As she walked through the archway into the hall, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and closed the door behind her.

Sakura flushed and her eyes widened in surprise as the door shut. A smirk spread across her face, and she made her way down the hall to her room. In the privacy of her own accommodations, Sakura let the kimono slip to the floor and she went to her closet, picking out the usual red vest, tan skirt and black spandex shorts. Brushing her unruly, pink mane, she brought a few strands that were falling into her face to her nose and sniffed. Sure enough, it smelt just like Itachi; musk, fresh rainfall, and smoky wood.

She shook her head in disbelief, wondering just when she had started to recognize how Itachi smelt. Her face reddened at the realization that as far as men went, Itachi had a very appealing scent to him. She had never smelt armpit or sweat on him before. He had a spicy, masculine aroma, _and_ was clean. _And_ he did not stare at her when she was naked.

If Sasuke had seen her naked like that, he would have acted on bodily instinct, whether she wanted him to or not. Itachi was kind enough to pull her frozen with shock body out of the stall and help her dry off. Sakura inwardly gaped at herself. What was she thinking? That Itachi was better than Sasuke? That could not be. Sakura had to be losing her very mind, she was certain of it.

She had loved Sasuke, only thought of how he smelled, and how he looked. She had promised herself she would not think of him, but that did not mean that it was acceptable to be thinking about Itachi instead. Though she had tried to use Itachi for sex, so she could forget Sasuke, did not mean that it was tolerable. She should not be allowed to think of him as she was.

Sakura put down the brush after one last stroke through her hair, and sighed. She took a look into the full length mirror, and satisfied with her appearance, she left her room.

Itachi was most displeased with what he found on the five tapes. He was not sure which was more disturbing, the fact that Orochimaru had decided to video him as he had, or that Karin had taken possession of the film after for her own enjoyment. While it would be very satisfying to kill the two of them, Itachi knew it would only be a waste of time. The perverted duo would be back, safe and sound, in the morning.

He stared at the pile of tapes for a moment, unsure of how exactly he should destroy the evidence. It would be so simple to just crush them and burn the plastic left over, but at the same time, he did not want his room to be set on fire. He breathed out tiredly, taking one and bending it in one direction until it snapped. He grabbed another cassette and repeated, until there were a pile of mangled film and black plastic. Glaring, his anger for the videos still not quenched, a smirk crossed his features.

Itachi picked up the pile of plastic, and carried it into the kitchen, and he set the mess of tapes onto the counter next to the sink. Ignoring the strange look Deidara was giving him, Itachi reached over and flipped the switched to the garbage disposal. It roared to life, and Itachi snatched the first broken piece of tape, pushing it down the drain and listening as it ground into black dust.

A terrifying, sadistic smile spread across his face as Itachi fed the disposal another chunk of plastic. Deidara blinked a few times at him, quickly deciding that the Uchiha was having _way _too much fun for his own good. He could not recall ever having seen Itachi smile at anything, and sot the very idea was disturbing. He glanced at the diminishing pile of trash, and realized it was tapes that Itachi was so happily pulverizing.

"Uchiha, what are you doing, un?" Deidara finally asked hesitantly. Itachi looked up from the drain, his out-of-place grin still plastered on his face. Deidara shivered in slight fear, almost saying that it was fine, that it was better not knowing, when Itachi answered.

"Abolishing the evidence." He said lightly. Deidara's skin crawled at the joyful tone Itachi had. He thought it best to leave, for his own, personal safety, and went into the living room. Apparently, Karin had gotten out of her hiding place in the bathroom, because the redhead was sitting on an armchair, her legs tucked underneath her. She was reading what looked to be a disgustingly sappy romance novel, a box of tissues set on the side in precaution. Deidara snorted; he had been so certain that Karin was illiterate, but clearly he was wrong.

"Uchiha was acting really strange, un. He was smiling, but it was not an I-am-happy sort of smile, but an I-am-going-to-fucking-kill-you smile." He shuddered, flopping himself on the couch adjacent to her, his feet propped up onto the armrest. She curiously looked up from her book, wondering what had made Itachi smile, until figuring it must have been his _beloved_ Sakura. She frowned, then turned back to the depressingly mushy novel.

"It was really weird, un. He was shoving broken video cassettes down the garbage disposal. I swear, I thought he was about to start laughing manically." Deidara continued. Karin shrieked in surprised at hearing how abused her wonderful tapes were. Deidara gave her a strange, confused look, and she covered her mouth in embarrassment. She should have known that Sakura would turn them to Itachi. Based on what he was doing to them, Itachi was not pleased by what he found on them.

"What was that, un?" He asked in bewilderment. She shook her head, standing up and leaving the living room to hide in her room. If Itachi was grinding the _tapes_ into oblivion, she did not want to know what he would do to _her_, should they cross paths. She snuck past the kitchen, listening in horror as he destroyed her precious videos, and then dashed down the hall, ignoring Sakura as she went.

Sakura stared at Karin's quickly disappearing figure in bemusement. She shrugged, deciding that the girl was too unstable to talk to. She continued down the hall, in the direction Karin had been running from, until reaching the kitchen. She stood in the archway for a few moments, observing Itachi as he fed the garbage disposal.

Sakura stood there silently, Itachi still oblivious to her presence there. When he started to chuckle to himself, however, she could not help but to laugh at his antics. She entered the kitchen entirely, and jumped up onto the counter to sit next to his mostly diminished pile. He glanced at her for a second, but then turned back to the sink drain.

"Are you having fun, Itachi?" She teased with good humor, watching with amusement as he tossed in the last of his abolished pile. He did not answer at first, waiting for the blades to clear before switching off the disposal. Somewhat out of character, he hopped up to sit on the kitchen counter opposite to her. He shook his head and sighed.

"Most definitely not." He replied calmly. Again, she laughed. Itachi tilted his head and rose a delicate brow in confusion, not understanding what exactly she found about his actions to be so entertaining.

"It 'most definitely' looked like you were having fun." She said, her tone mocking his lightly. Sakura found his actions to be completely ridiculous, a little over he top. She had imagined him smashing them, or perhaps burning them, but for him to grind them into absolutely nothing; the thought made her laugh.

"What makes you think I enjoyed utterly demolishing the evidence?"

"You _were _laughing." She giggled, covering her mouth with her hands to hold back the full-blown laughter threatening to come out.

"I was _not _laughing. I was chuckling darkly. There is a difference, koishii." He grumbled back. Itachi was certain he had not laughed ever in his existence, and that he never would. He would have to be so out of his comfort zone, that it was not even funny.

"Whatever you say, Itachi." She responded airily. He rolled his eyes, and silence fell between them. Sakura's eyes drifted to her dangling feet, and she subconsciously started to twiddle her thumbs, then bite her lips. This, he had discovered previously, was one of her few nervous habits. His brows knitted together, receiving the impression that she had initially come to tell him something, though was now too uncomfortable to do so. Closing his dark eyes, he slowly breathed out, his eyebrows relaxing. They flashed open again, and a second later, a smirk crossed his smooth features.

He slid from the countertop, and with a mischievous smirk still in place, Itachi took the few steps between them, and stopped in the small gap between her legs. He reached past her head, opening a cabinet behind her to grab a glass. She looked up, shocked to find two, startling dark eyes staring back at her. She gulped, seeing the dares in their depths.

"Do you have something you need to say, koishii?" He asked, his velvety tenor at ease, but somehow taunting. She blushed, wondering how he knew what she was really there for, but then remembered a vital fact. This was Uchiha Itachi. He knew everything. She sighed, and without realizing it, pressed her broad forehead onto his cool one. Sakura rested it there for a few seconds, with her eyes shut, before answering him.

"I noticed that I got better sleep last night than I have in weeks. I may be wrong, but I cannot help but to think that was because of you. I am afraid to go back to my room tonight, to sleep alone, to be haunted by my dreams again. I know it is awkward, and I understand if you say no, but I was hoping you would let me let me spend the night in your room again." She whispered softly, too anxious to keep eye contact with him, her eyes drifted to her hands, which lay in her lap.

"Koishii," Itachi murmured, "sleep with me."

Her eyes shot up in surprise at what he said. His dark, consuming orbs were soft and caring, and it was then that she truly noticed their proximity. For some reason, she did not care that he was so close. She sucked in, breathing his scent, smelling his breath. It was intoxicating, and she felt her mind go numb.

"Thank you, Itachi." She breathed, and before she knew just what she was doing her lips reached for his.

To say that he was surprised by her actions was an understatement, but Itachi was wholly pleased but what she did. His lips moved against hers like satin, drinking in her heady scent. It remained chaste, and Itachi was fine with this, and he was still content when she finally pulled away in confusion.

Sakura could not believe what she had just done. She had instigated a kiss with Uchiha Itachi, of all people. What was even more unbelievable was that she had enjoyed it. What had she been thinking? She already knew the answer; Sakura had put no thought into the kiss at all. It was his fault, for smelling so goddamned good. She sighed, knowing that was a lie. She was to blame, her and her confused mind.

Itachi looked at her with no small amount of pride. He had known this would happen eventually, but by that small interaction, she had shown him what she kept deep in her heart. He was winning the war, not that he was shocked by it. Uchiha Itachi always got what he wanted.

**AN: Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Sakura, now hiding in the safety of her room, mentally beat herself against the wall. How could she have done that? Itachi had not objected to the unplanned kiss, but she would not expect him to. What she could never have expected was the warmth of butterflies fluttering in her stomach she now had. Surprising even more than this was the carnal heat pooling together in an area a little below her flustered stomach.

It was night again, and she knew that it was getting late. Itachi must have known that she was bothered by the fact that _she_ had kissed him, because he had yet to come and retrieve her. Sakura still intended to spend the night with him, because she would not sleep properly if she did not. Knowing him, he was probably waiting for her even then, lounging on his large bed with a book.

She sighed, knowing it was not right for her to keep him waiting as she was. He must have been tired, just as much as she was, considering he had gotten about as much sleep as she had. That being none at all. She could trust him, Sakura was certain he would never do something she would not like, or was not prepared for, but she still felt anxious about going to his room. She should not have been thinking about him at all, but she was. Sakura felt that she was betraying Sasuke, but had to tell herself that Sasuke was a freaking douche. He had betrayed her, and now she was healing from that.

Itachi's words from the other night rang through her head. _If we ever do this, it will not be now, and it will not be in the way you think you want it._ He truly believed they would make love at some point in time, which should have bothered her. The logical part of Sakura knew that he was right, because Itachi was _always_ right. He knew what he was doing, even though he claimed he had never felt as he did for another woman. Itachi would always win, because he had his head on straight, but mostly because of his heritage. The Uchiha did have a constant urge to control their surroundings, she knew that much.

Before she could allow herself to drift into slumber, nor continue in wondering just how much Itachi liked to _control_, Sakura got to her feet. In her exhaustion, she stumbled out of her bedroom, and down the hall. All was silent, and she knew that she, and assumedly Itachi, were the only ones awake. Sakura stood before his door for a moment, trying to think of just what to say to him, when it opened. She lowered her hand, which she had raised to knock, and looked up at him nervously.

His eyes were soft and almost uncertain, and he gently took one of her hands to lead her into his room. She stepped in, never looking away from his beautiful eyes, and the sooty eyelashes that caressed his cheeks delicately. She was slightly jealous that a man was so unbearably good looking, but it ran in his family. Sakura could not blame him for his fortunate genetics.

"I was beginning to think you were not coming, koishii." Itachi whispered, concern laced into every word. She felt bad for making him worry, and gave him a small smile. She did not want to tell him she had been nervous to return to his room after the kiss, but he seemed to relay that thought through her eyes.

He huffed softly, then gave her a small peck on the bridge of her nose. "Koishii, I would never do something that you did not want me to." He murmured, slipping two strong arms around her body. Sakura blushed slightly, but knew she had nothing to be concerned over. Itachi was a man of honor, despite his horrible past, and would do anything to uphold his own self pride.

"I know, Itachi. I am sorry you had to wait for me. You must be just as tired as I am." Sakura mumbled, reaching up to touch her fingers to the dark shadows under his eyes. Itachi watched her do this, and on impulse, he stooped his face down to her level, leaving only centimeters between their lips.

"Koishii, if you do not want me to do this, then tell me." He uttered, his mouth moving slowly closer to hers. It scared Sakura, but she did want him to kiss her. She wanted to feel his velvety lips move against hers like satin, to breath in his wonderful, earthy scent, to feel every muscle of his chest and shoulders sensitized under her fingers. It should not be, she told herself, she should not ever be with Uchiha Itachi, the brother of the man she had loved most of her life, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. It was simply happening.

"I do want this, Itachi." She breathed softly, her arms reaching up around his neck, pulling him through the remaining distance between their mouths. Her bright, innocent eyes slowly drooped shut as she melted against him, becoming nothing more than a puddle of pink and white in his arms. He could feel it flowing from her body into his, Itachi easily sensed how much she wanted to be with him, even if she thought it was going against Sasuke.

Itachi could not be satisfied by the simple lip lock; no, he wanted more. Perhaps more than what she was ready to give him. He slowly ran his tongue along the seem of her mouth, begging for entrance. She gasped in surprise, but Itachi did not take advantage of this, instead waiting for her to show her way of accepting his actions.

Sakura drank in his sweet breath, and her tongue went to meet his. With permission now, his tongue divulged into her mouth, gliding sensually against hers. She could not believe that this was happening, but she felt no urge to stop it. She enjoyed how it felt when he slid his hot, wet tongue along with hers, how it felt when his slender hands rested comfortably on her back in support, how it felt when he let her run her fingers through his silky hair.

Unable to suppress it, Sakura mewled into his mouth with each motion he made. Itachi tilted his head, angling himself so he had more access to her cavern, taking pride in every moan that sounded from deep in her throat. He swallowed the yearning noises she uttered, indulging in her sweet taste. Minutes past, but it felt like no more than a second to either of them.

Itachi knew it was a second too long though, when she sensually lifted her hips to meet him, her legs wrapping around him effectively. She whined when he pulled them apart, her eyes scrunching up in confusion. She had been enjoying how he made her feel.

"It is already late, koishii. Come to bed." He whispered, pulling her in the direction of his bed. She nodded, agreeing that it was late enough as it was, and they both needed proper sleep for once. He pulled up the sheets and slipped under, Sakura following shortly after. She sighed into his arms glad that she did not have to tell him to hold her this time around. Slowly, she fell into a deep sleep, at total peace in Itachi's strong hold.

Itachi glanced over her sleeping form, watching as her shoulders rose and fell with each intake of air. She was beautiful, breathtakingly so, and it had been hard to stop her. She had feelings for him, that much was certain, but she was still beyond confused. Until she had her mind set straight, until he was sure that there was no lingering thoughts of Sasuke, he could not go any further with her than he had. He would not take advantage of her confusion, he wanted whatever happened between them to be authentic.

Sakura woke earlier than usual, happy that there had not been any interruptions last night when she slept. There had been no haunting dreams of Sasuke and their supposed child, and so she opened her eyes to a firmly defined chest. A blush spread across her face; yesterday, he had gotten up before she did, saving her the embarrassment she now endured. Slowly, she moved her head to see his face. Itachi watched her as she did so with no small amount of amusement, seeing when her cheeks burned red and eyes widened in shock.

He was awake, was the only thing her mind allowed itself to think. He was unabashed by their positions, but she was not comfortable with how they were currently situated. Her legs were entangled with his, and though it had not bothered her the previous night, his arms rest in the dipping curve of her side, as if it was supposed to be there. Some time while she had been sleeping, she must have twisted in his hold so that she was facing him, and her hand lay on his chest.

Slowly, she sat up, giving Itachi a full look-over, even though she should not have. There was so much beautifully pale skin, with subtle muscles rolling underneath. Sakura wanted to trace every contour of his divine body, to draw edges to his smooth, pristine skin. Everything about him flowed together like silk, everything about his god-like body was absolute perfection.

She was not so much perturbed by the fact that their two forms seemed to mold together seamlessly, but rather that she felt it was happening all so soon. The first time they kissed, when he had chased after her to her bedroom, had been nearly a month ago, but the way she now felt for him had only recently started. She wondered what he must have thought of her, for her to have fallen for another man after previously been desperately in love with his brother.

Sakura could not deny it, she was attracted to the man. She was falling for another Uchiha, which should have been terrifying, knowing how Sasuke had been when he killed her. It was not though, and that was what was scary to her.

"What are you thinking about, koishii?" Itachi whispered, moving her disheveled hair from her face. He had just seen every possible emotion flicker across her face, and it made him worry. Her eyes shot up from his toned body in surprise, and he met her eyes readily.

Her green orbs darkened slightly in sadness as she answered. "You must think I am the stupidest girl ever born." She muttered, her face tilting downward as she attempted to hide behind pink locks. Itachi's face scrunched up in displeasure, but she did not give him time to tell her otherwise. He did not like how lowly she thought herself.

"I am falling for you, Itachi." Sakura breathed. As soon as she said that, the room became utterly still; he was unsure what to say in response to this, and he did not understand her logic. Did she think it stupid to love him? He did not want her to feel foolish for having any attachment to him, she should be happy about it. Was he that bad of a person, that she wished she did not love him?

Sakura sensed his unasked questions, and continued. "I do not feel stupid for falling for you, Itachi. It is Sasuke that makes me feel so foolish. I was supposed to love him forever, that was why you chose me for him. Now, however, I am in love with you. Am I that easily swayed, that I can change my mind that quickly? I should be loyal to Sasuke, that is what you should have counted on for, but now, when I open my eyes, and you are the first thing I see, I know I have gone behind his back. The sad thing is, I do not even regret it."

"I would not want you to regret anything that happens between us, koishii. Do not think so poorly of yourself, just because of my brother. Whatever feelings he had for you, he relinquished with killing you. You are not bound to him with anything; there is no promise between you and him, there can be no assumption on his part that you will continue to love him. If I think anyone to be foolish, it is not you, but rather my brother, for giving you up." Itachi murmured, reaching a cool hand up to caress her cheek. Sakura took his hand, then moved it to her mouth, kissing the rough palm, and then the tip of each of his long fingers.

He watched as she kissed his hand, somewhat surprised by her actions. His hands, rough from his life as a shinobi, seemed to tingle in every place she decided to kiss, and it was a sensation he was not used to.

"Sasuke did terrible things to me, Itachi. He hurt me in ways that cannot be forgiven, and I honestly hope I never see his face again. The boy he was in konoha has died, slowly strangled by the darkness hidden in his heart. He could never love me, never consider me anything more than a woman to continue the Uchiha clan with. You saw me, however, as a person, someone who needed love and care as much as you did. My only regret is that I had not known you while I was alive; know you as I do now." Sakura said softly, placing his hand down.

Itachi propped himself up onto his elbows, his eyes soft and understanding. This is what Sakura knew she was falling for, it was how he managed to always show he cared. It could be a simple look in his eyes, or him moving the hair out of her face, but he never failed to show her his feelings.

Sakura watched as he took her hand, repeating the actions she had just made, and kissing her soft skin. His mouth could not be kept there, however, it wandered slowly to her wrist, and he kissed her jumping pulse dote fully. His lips steadily kissed its way up the inside of her arm, moving her kimono sleeve out of the way to give himself more room. His mouth then moved back down, until he was kissing her fingertips. She was surprised when his lips parted slightly, and then closed around her pinky finger.

Itachi did this for each of her digits, sucking softly on them, all the while looking up at Sakura as she sat, watching in awe. He finished this, and together, they moved to meet one another. There was no hesitation this time, Sakura opened her mouth for him before he had the chance to ask her to. He instantly dipped his tongue into her mouth, hers meeting his in a frenzy of raw emotion. Only Itachi could make her feel this way, she finally realized.

Even if she was alive, and with Sasuke, it would never be as amazing as it was with Itachi. He was not so demanding, did not force her into doing something she did not wish to do, while she knew Sasuke would never have the same courtesy. Sasuke would order her to do something, and she would have no choice but to obey him. Itachi had the same authority over her, but he would never ask anything of her that he was not already certain she would give him.

With a gasp for air, they broke apart, only seconds later moving back. He made her feel whole, as if a girl like her had the right to be loved. Sasuke had only kissed her once, and it had been only to torment her, while Itachi kissed her because he wanted to relay his feeling to her in a way that could not be otherwise described. This pure, raw emotion he showed only to her, it made her feel special.

She sighed in contentment as the kiss ended with him licking her lips clean of saliva, and she rested her head on his chest, both of them back laying on the bed. She did not deserve for him to treat him as sweetly as he had, even after her original rejection. She did not deserve someone as loyal and determined as he was, but somehow, Sakura knew Itachi was hers.

"See what I mean? I should not be doing this, even though I want to." Sakura shook her head in disapproval for her own actions. Itachi huffed in disagreement to her antics, wishing she would just accept things as they were, instead of fighting the inevitable. A small frown grew on his face, and she giggled at his show of emotion.

"You have to stop saying that about yourself, koishii." He grumbled, slipping out from under the sheets. She huffed, then gave him a small smile, before sliding out of bed behind him. He was right after all, she was too negative, and she was always criticizing herself.

"I am sorry, Itachi. Sometimes I just feel that I do not deserve someone to care so much for me. I know that Sasuke would never have been so thoughtful." She whispered, reaching up to give him one last kiss on the cheek. She needed to sort a few things out in her mind before she could truly be with Itachi. He warranted a better girl than her, one with no emotional baggage. Yet, despite her problems, he still wanted her, so there had to be something redeemable about her.

Without having anything else to say, Sakura left his room, smiling all the while. Karin watched as Sakura walked down the hall and into the bathroom to start her day. She certainly looked happy, that much she could tell. The shower started, and she, for a split second, was sure she heard Sakura singing something. Karin growled to herself, then stomped into the living room.

Deidara was already up, just barely so, when Karin flopped onto the couch and let out a series of animal-like sounds. She was obviously upset, he concluded, and he was positive that it was because of that damned Uchiha. He huffed to himself, and gave the girl a dark look. What was the bid deal about that stupid man? Sure, he had the whole tall, dark, and handsome thing going for him, but did that make him chopped liver? He should hope not.

"As far as girls go, you are pretty dense, aren't you?" He muttered, looking at her through hooded eyes. Karin's eyes lifted in surprise, and she sat up on the couch with a straight back. She did not understand what his point was, but she did not like his tone, that much she was sure.

"What the hell makes you think that?" She shouted back. Karin was not a morning person, and she had practically just lost the man she loved to an emotionally disturbed girl, so she was not in the best of moods. She honestly did not understand how a girl like Sakura, who was an utter mess, could attract a man like Itachi. It made her feel pathetic.

"Why are you so goddamned obsessed with that fucking Uchiha, un? Sure he has the whole dark thing going for him, but other than that, he is an ass." Deidara stated, his arms crossed over his chest. Her face reddened, and when he saw the look on her face, Deidara was certain she was going to explode with anger. Perhaps he had gone a little too far for her, he mused.

"He is... because..." Karin earnestly did not know why she felt as she did. Maybe her reasons for liking Itachi were unsound. She had been angry, but her expression softened and when she looked at him again, and she seemed so weakened. Deidara huffed, and rolled his eyes.

"I do not know why I feel as I do." She finally said, pushing her glasses up farther on the bridge of her nose. It was embarrassing to think he was picking apart her head, figuring out that she was a silly, ignorant girl who obsessed over men she did not even know, and was jealous of Sakura because she had qualities she never would.

"There we go. You probably do not even like that bastard at all, un. He always gets women for his damn looks, but he does not care about any of them. You are better off without his stupid ass." Deidara said, shrugging. She giggled at his obvious and blatant envy of Itachi and his uncanny gift of attracting women.

"It sounds like _you_ are jealous of Itachi, Deidara. Do you secretly wish you were tall, dark and handsome like him?" She snickered, laughing at his paled face when he heard what she had to say. A second later, it turned flustered. Even if he were jealous of Itachi's inborn talent to draw those of the female persuasion, he would be the last one to admit as much.

"Like hell, am I jealous of that bastard." He grumbled. Karin laughed, almost certain now that Deidara _was _most definitely envious of Itachi. The poor, ignored man. Who would ever be pay attention to him when someone like Itachi? Just like how she was ignored when Sakura came around, she realized.

She and Deidara were exactly the same; she had been ignored by both Sasuke and then Itachi for Sakura, while he had been ignored by numerous women during his life for Itachi. Karin should not be always fighting with him, but rather, they should be sticking together, seeing they were in the same situation. She looked at him, and noticed that though he was not the adonis sort of man she fell for, but was still a sight for sore eyes. He certainly was much more built up than Itachi, who was not weak, but more lean then anything. His slenderness was probably what made him so fast as a shinobi.

Karin shook her head, trying to break up the thoughts she just had about the suicide bomber. She had no interest in him, even if his blue eyes were as deep, as earnest as the ocean, and his honey blond hair reminded her of the sun. His skin was tanned healthily, muscles rippling behind with each movement he made. Not that she was looking. Karin would never do that.

"Hey, should you be making breakfast or not? I thought today was your turn." Deidara finally said, interrupting her line of thought. Knowing he was right, she grumbled to herself, she stumbled to her feet, then left for the kitchen without saying anything in response. Honestly, she was terrified of cooking at all, when being compared to Sakura's fine meals, she felt utterly inferior.

Sakura walked into the living room just as Karin left, only barely catching the flustered expression on the redhead's face. She turned to Deidara for some sort of explanation. He frowned for a second, trying to figure out what had just passed for himself, before speaking.

"I think Karin was checking me out, un." He stated, his eyes set together, as if he were still trying to decipher what exactly that entailed. He did not know precisely what had gone down, but he was sure that she was the reason why Itachi had been so insane, grinding video tapes into oblivion. He did not want to be involved with that mess.

Sakura laughed, and then with complete seriousness, told him, "Guard your shower with your life." He tilted his head in confusion, his honey eyebrows knitted together, as if he was thinking too hard.

"Does this have anything to do with Itachi and those tapes?" He asked slowly. A faint blush spread across her face, and that was the only affirmation he needed. "What the hell was that anyway?" He continued in asking. Sakura chuckled nervously, certain that Itachi would not want her telling anyone about how he had been taped while in the shower. Naked in the shower. Naked and wet in the shower.

"Well, yes, it does. It is not in my place to tell you exactly what happened, but I would keep my eyes open if I were you. Be wary of Orochimaru too. He is the one who set it all up." Sakura replied quietly. Deidara thought for a second. If Orochimaru was involved, whatever went down had not been pleasant, knowing the man's Uchiha fetish. Put that with Karin's clear infatuation, it must have been a nightmare.

"Were they taping him in the shower, or something, un?" Deidara finally concluded. She had warned him of the shower, he had seen Itachi destroying tapes, and Orochimaru, or the Fag-Lord, was involved somehow. Sakura blushed, and again, Deidara knew that his guess must have been the correct one.

"You cannot tell anyone _anything_, Deidara. Itachi will want to kill you if you even knew." Sakura said nervously. It was not _her_ fault if Deidara figured out what Karin had been up to, but Itachi would not be pleased with her, if he knew she had given that away.

Deidara snorted. "Like I am scared of that ass, un. It is not like I can die again." He shrugged with nonchalance. Sakura looked at him, blinking repetitively. She did not think that what he had said was the smartest of things, but Deidara was not one to care what she thought. He was not going to fear someone, merely because they had murdered his entire family at the tender age of thirteen. That was not to say that Sakura feared him either, she knew he had not wanted to harm his family in any way, but he had no choice in the matter.

"Koishii, do you have a good reason for telling him about _that_?" A voice asked from the doorway. Sakura blanched, turning to face Itachi. Deidara chuckled at the endearment that Itachi had given Sakura, but besides that, did nothing.

"He figured it out on his own. I was just warning him against Karin." Sakura said with as much innocence as she could muster. He saw what she was pulling, and gave her a knowing smirk. She could already tell he was going to punish her for Deidara finding out. For some reason, Sakura had the impression that whatever he planned to punish her with, it would not be something she would object to.

"Well, I suppose I cannot give you a complete penalty for him figuring it out, but..." The sentence hung above their heads unfinished. Sakura gulped. Deidara growled in frustration at the sexual tension between them.

"If you two are going to fuck, can you not do it in here?" He asked dryly. Sakura tossed the coffee table at his head, only missing by a few inches. A dark flush burned her cheeks, and when Deidara took the chance, he saw that there was a slight reddening on Itachi's face as well.

"Bastard! Do not say that!" Sakura shouted, her entire frame shaking with fury.

Itachi blinked, realizing that she had not denied them being in any relationship, only that she did not want him talking about it. Not sure what that meant, a soft, nearly invisible smile spread across his lips.

**AN: I know I must sound like a broken record, but please REVIEW!! I love to hear from you guys!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: I would like to start this chapter by saying thank you everyone for all the reviews!! I have reached a hundred!! I feel so proud of myself. ^^ Anyway, here is the next chapter of Purgatory! **

Sakura slowly opened her eyes. (After)life had become something of a routine, which she liked. Every night, Sakura fell asleep in Itachi's bed, then woke the next morning to see him watching her calmly. It had been weeks since the last time she had been tortured by nightmares, and she rarely even thought of Sasuke. Everything was peaceful, now that Karin had decided that Uchiha were overrated, and that she would much rather be with Deidara. There was no longer any grief between the two kunoichi, who grew close after Karin moved on from Itachi.

Sakura would always expect to open her eyes and look up into Itachi's beautiful, black eyes, but it was different today. She did not mind that it was not good to experience something new, in fact, she enjoyed it. When Sakura tilted her head up, she saw that Itachi's eyes were still shut, his breathing slow and steady. He was deep asleep.

Her heart clenched with pure joy at seeing him so tranquil, so open with her. It could mean only one thing, Itachi trusted her enough to sleep in her presence. She almost wanted to cry with how happy she felt, and was sorely tempted to reach up and kiss his shut eyes, to touch his long eyelashes as they softly caressed his cheeks. For someone like Itachi, who had been constantly on edge and guarding his very life from a young age, it was a big deal for him to show this to her.

Sakura sighed in satisfaction, resisting the need to feel his silky hair between her fingers, not wanting to wake him. She did not want to ruin the special moment she had been given, not knowing when the next time he did this could be. Careful to not wake him, and bring him from his calm state, Sakura cinched closer to him, resting her head against his bare chest in an attempt to draw that complete security from him.

Unfortunately, this comfort was short-lived, because Itachi stirred not long after Sakura woke, as if sensing that she was no longer asleep. His eyes lazily opened, and Sakura lifted herself up onto her elbows to smile down at him. Itachi was utterly shocked to see that he had allowed her to wake up while he still slept, always having intended to make sure there was someone to whisper 'good morning' first thing every day.

"Good morning, Itachi." Sakura breathed, reaching to kiss him. It seemed that, for once, their roles were reversed. He did not mind this, and instead recieved her kiss happily. He felt unusually relaxed, which said much, since he was generally a mellow man to begin with. It had to be Sakura's being there that caused this anomaly, because that was the only change he had made in his existence as of late.

"Koishii." Itachi replied, squeezing the hand he had on her hip gently, as both a form of reassurance and a showing of the depth of his care. Dainty, feminine hands brushed away his long bangs, curling them behind his ears and out of his eyes and forehead. Sakura loved these moments they shared more than anything else, and she hoped that if nothing, this much would last. It was undeniable now; Sakura had fallen hard.

His hair out of his face, Sakura leaned to press her lips to his forehead, sweetly kissing him there, then moving slowly down past his sharp nose and thin lips, reaching the smooth skin of his chin. Itachi was slightly surprised by what she did next, but did not object in the least, too pleased with her actions to think too much of it. Sakura trailed along his jawline, then went to kiss his pulse. It jumped slightly in excitement when her lips parted, and her tongue lapped at the spot.

Sakura was experiencing, for the first time, the wonderful rush of control, and she found herself wanting more of it. It was always her that sat, watching as Itachi doted on her, giving her pleasure with his sinful lips. It was hardly fair that she always was allowed this, yet he never knew how it felt. Now, however, it was her that was dominating what happened, and he could experience what it felt to submit to someone else, to let them make him feel things he never imagined before.

At first hesitantly, her velvety lips filed along his neck, until meeting the firm musculature of his chest, where she did not waver at all. Her mouth instantly went to his taut nipple, closing around it teasingly. After playing with it between her teeth, her hot, moist mouth started moving again, this time with even more determination. Itachi lay in awe, watching her with amazement, all the while clenching his teeth together to hold back his groans.

It was when her mouth had gone past his navel, humming into the fine hairs of his 'happy trail' that he knew she was going too far with her command. Sakura's intentions quickly became obvious when her warm, slick tongue glided along the edge of his sweatpants, and Itachi knew he had to put a stop to it.

When he opened his mouth tell her she needed to quit before she did something too serious, his control was lost, and an unexpected moan let loose from deep in his chest. "Koishii," he purred, trying to scold her, but failing. Astonished by this sound, her vibrant eyes went straight up to his face, and was surprised to see the hot color playing out across his cheeks. With a smirk she wondered what else she could make him do.

Only slightly nervous, her fingers reached up to the hem of his sweatpants, tugging on it lightly.

"Koishii," he warned, not liking where this was heading. She took no heed though, testing her boundaries with another small pull.

"_Sakura._"

At this, she paused. It was the first time she had heard him call her by her first name for a very long time, and it sounded foreign coming from him. The fact that he called her by that instead of _Koishii_ showed how serious he was, and she could not disobey him blatantly, as much as she would have loved to continue. A frown on her face, she wondered why he was so insistent on her ceasing. It was clear by the hardening bulge she felt through their offending clothes that his body wanted nothing more but for her to proceed, but his mind did not agree.

"Why?" She murmured, her voice trying to allure him, for him to sway so she could enjoy the full extent of being in control. He, however, had no intention in letting that happen.

"Koishii, when we do this, you are not allowed to have any power whatsoever, do you hear me?" He muttered, flipping them over. Her eyes widened in shock, and a moment later, he tore her yukata open to reveal two rounded breasts. Sakura was forced to assume that he planned on finally moving forward with her, because he dipped those sinful lips down to suck harshly on her perked nipple, his tongue swirling around it. The other being left abandoned, her reached up to pinch the sister bud, twisting it until it was just as hardened as the other.

Sakura gasped in a pleasured incredulity, watching him as he worked her dutifully, and finally understanding why he was so determined to be in charge over her. While it had been fulfilling to decide what happened, Sakura knew that what she could do did not compare to what Itachi was capable of, and it was much more pleasing for him to hold the power. Secretly, she wondered if this was really his first time with a woman, because it certainly felt as if he had more experience than she did.

He seemed to be using her as sustenance, the way he slurped her in like a newborn child, his teeth occasionally grazing her over sensitized flesh. She let him though, giving Itachi what he needed of her without resistance, instead reveling in the feel of his hot breath and slick tongue as Itachi tasted her. Nothing compared to the feel of his skilled mouth, and she would not trade it for anything in the world, even her own life.

Still unsure of what her boundaries were, Sakura slid a foot gracefully up his leg to latch onto him, effectively bringing them closer. When he did not object to this, Sakura repeated her actions with the other foot, until she could feel his hard cock through the thin material of her underwear and his sweatpants. It was arousing to feel him so close to her, only separated by a few layers. Idly, she wondered how long it would take to get those layers off, and as if to speed up that process, Sakura twisted her hips, grinding their two, clothed sexes together.

This still did not overstep her limits, and so, feeling more daring than usual, Sakura slipped a confident hand down to grab his thick length. However, this idea was prevented, as Itachi caught her hand just as it started to sneak under his sweatpants. He shook his head, lifting his lips up from her breasts to scold her.

"Do I need to draw the lines clearer, Koishii? I am in control now, and so you will let me give you as much pleasure as humanly possible. If you can still keep your hands from shaking when I am through, then by all means, do as you wish. Right now, however, you are going to enjoy every last second of this." Itachi whispered heatedly, diving back down to divulge in her.

She whimpered when he sucked on her with a new persistence, and realized something important. He was getting as much pleasure out of this as she was; Sakura did not need to do anything specific to satisfy his needs. With this new knowledge, she ran her fingers along the curves of his shoulders, then lacing into his black hair to hold his head in place.

This did not last too long, because a moment later, his mouth began traveling south, leaving a trail of moist, bruise-like marks as he went.

It was at this inopportune point that there was a knock, and they heard a shrilly voice say, "Sakura, get up already! It is your morning to make breakfast!"

Sakura very nearly jumped up and fell off the bed in surprise, but with Itachi hovering over her, it was not so easily done. They both knew that Karin was going to be waiting outside the door for her to come out, and if she took too long, then Karin would happily intrude. Itachi grunted in aggravation, but parted his lips and pulled his head up from her smooth body. Sakura whimpered, then glared at the closed door.

"I have to go, Itachi." She whispered, pushing lightly on his chest for him to move. Sighing, he let her sit up, unpleased by the fact that he was throughly aroused, but did not have the time to release himself into her. The only person he could blame at the moment was Karin, the bearer of bad news. He did not want to ask Sakura what to do with his erection, but she was a medic, and so the only one who truly knew the best way to solve his problem. Thankfully, he never had to ask aloud.

"Go take a cold shower, Itachi. It should help. If not, then I am certain you can figure out a way to relieve yourself." Sakura winked, pulling her yukata around her small frame tightly, and then crawling out bed then out the door. Itachi stared after her, wondering if she had really just implied he reduce himself to masturbation.

...

Sasuke wished he could take certain things back, but he knew that was not possible. He could never bring his sweet, loving Sakura back to life, if but to appease Konoha. After the everyone's favorite little medic had been killed, even Naruto had turned from him. Naruto, the boy who had once considered himself to be his brother. Sasuke already had a brother, he did not need another.

He could only imagine the face that Kakashi and Naruto must have made at seeing dearest Sakura-chan cold and pale on the forest floor, her blood already drained from her body. They would both know instantly who had murdered her, and neither of them would ever forgive him for what he had done to her.

It was sick and twisted; Sasuke knew that his mind had to be skewed somehow, because he had loved her, had wanted to see her filled with his child, to grow old with her, the Uchiha already well on its way to being the most powerful clan in the shinobi world. Yet, despite all this, he had killed her, sacrificed his future with her for vengeance.

Since that fateful day, he had been on the run. They had been desperate to bring him back before, but then all of konoha got involved with his capture. He could not avoid the inevitable. He had wondered, on the night after killing Sakura, if this was how Itachi had felt for all those years, being chased down by a village full of bitter people, and never being allowed to forget.

He had shaken his head though, knowing that his misery could never compare to what Itachi had endured. They had both killed someone they loved, but there was an important difference between him and his brother. Itachi had been innocent, while Sasuke knew he had no excuse for what he had done. Sakura had never done anything but love him, and over time, his own feeling had evolved, but he had killed her anyway.

Wherever she was, Sasuke knew that she would never forgive him for his cruelty, and he knew that he deserved that much. He could not have just murdered her, but he had to kiss her as well. The taste of her cool, bloody lips still lingered in his mouth. Sasuke wondered if it would ever fade away. Though he would never say it aloud, he was ashamed of what he did, but Sasuke was smart enough to know that being sorry was not enough to fix things. There was no excuses he could make on his own behalf.

One night, tired from running all day, Sasuke had wondered what his brother what have told him if he knew that he had killed the one person who had always believed in him, who never stopped loving him. It would not have been pleasant, and he knew Itachi would have let the mistake go idly. Itachi, who had been deprived of everything in life, would never understand why he would ever refuse something he had been offered. Sakura should not have died that morning by his hands, but there was nothing to do about it.

It was her fault, he had told himself, she was the one that had chased after him, deciding that she needed to be the one to end his life, instead of the countless number of nameless shinobi who were much more capable. She had been trying to kill him, he had only been protecting himself. He could have simply knocked her out like the night he left though, he chided.

He could have easily left her unconscious for Kakashi and Naruto to find later, but he had not. Sasuke could have even easier taken her with him; Sakura would have gladly gone. He had felt angry and betrayed by her decision to hunt him down, and that was what caused it.

Sasuke had wanted at one point in his life, to make Sakura his wife, but when she came to assassinate him, he had been enraged. How could she kill him, her only reason being because she loved him? Sasuke had acted on impulse, torturing her with his hands so that she would remember him throughout the afterlife. Sasuke had wanted her to suffer.

When the remainders of team seven had finally caught up to him, their poor, dead Sakura already brought home, there had been nothing for anyone to say. Sasuke did not ask for their forgiveness, he did not even want it. Naruto had been uncharacteristically silent, the menacing chakra from the kyuubi seeping through him dangerously. Kakashi had not even told Naruto to calm himself, because he had been just as angry.

An unforgettable battle had commenced, and Sasuke was still unsure who the victor had been. When it ended, Sasuke had managed to escape capture, but he was left broken and hollow by the encounter. The sad thing was, in the back of his mind, a small voice told him that if Sakura had been there, then she would have found a way to stop the fight before it happened.

Naruto had not given up after one meeting, though. Him and Kakashi had continued hot on his trail, never giving up. During their second crossing, there had been nothing but words. Sasuke could never forget what was said that day, he would always be tortured by them

"_She had loved you, Teme! Sakura had lived her life, doing nothing but work towards you, thinking of things that could help you. And what the hell did you do to thank her? You fucking killed her, leaving her cold and abandoned on the ground! She deserved better than that!"_

"_Haruno Sakura was not the weak kunoichi you may have thought, Sasuke. While she may not have the physical strength that you do, she had the brightest mind to come out of Konoha since Itachi. She was not conceited though, she was the most loving kunoichi in that village."_

Sasuke had physically flinched when Kakashi mentioned Itachi, had implied that Sakura was anywhere near the same level as his older brother. No one could ever be as selfless and caring as his brother had been, and he would not allow anyone to think otherwise.

The truth of the Uchiha Massacre had leaked out somehow, and Sasuke was certain it had something to do with Madara, but Sasuke was not appeased by what was being done for his brother. Itachi had loved Konoha, had done everything for Konoha, but they would not even allow him to be buried there. He should have been allowed that much.

"_What about my brother? Had he deserved to be shunned by Konoha, after what he suffered for them? He had been the strongest shinobi ever to live in that village, but they used him like a tool, and now they will not even let him rest there! Did he deserve that?"_

No one could have prepared him for what was said next.

"_Sasuke, Itachi _is_ in Konoha. Madara gave him up after seeing the state of his eyes. He has been emitted. The question is, will you be?"_

"_You were the one who killed him, Teme. Are you saying he deserved that?"_

Naruto's quiet voice had blown him away, and there was nothing he could say to him. Why had Madara not told him about sending Itachi to Konoha? Sasuke had, if anyone did, the right to know where his brother was resting. Had he been given a proper funeral? Did anyone bother to visit him?

"_You have a knack for killing everyone who cares for you, Teme."_

There was no question over who had won or lost that time around. Sasuke had lost, and Naruto had not even given him a chance to reply to the accusation, because a second later, he had turned on his feet and continued running in another direction. He had been astonished by this, because Naruto was not supposed to be so cold and indifferent, that was his role.

Naruto was, in a strange way, like his brother; so for him to hate him, it hurt. Sasuke now understood how Itachi must have felt for an entire decade, to have a brother absolutely abhor him. A small part of him had resented Itachi even after hearing the truth from Madara. His brother could have told him the truth, could have taken him and run instead of killing everyone. Itachi could have tried to stop the clan from revolting.

He had not though. Itachi had sucked it up and acted like the good, obedient shinobi, killing his family because he had been told to. Had his aniki secretly believed that what he was doing was just? There were so many things he wanted to ask his brother, but would never be able to. Now, all he had left was Naruto, and he hated him for killing Sakura. Itachi must have felt so lost, so alone after the massacre, because that was exactly how he felt. Resentment for his older brother washed away, replaced by guilt and sympathy.

In the third meeting after Sakura's uncalled for death, it had not been just Naruto and Kakashi to meet him. All of rookie nine had been there, as well as Team Gai. Facing them had been awkward for Sasuke, but he managed to maintain a straight face in front of them. They were all there to see him falter, but he would not show them how weak he felt.

Ino had given him the darkest look he had ever seen, and she had to be held back by the emotionally disturbed boy that had replaced him in team seven. He had recalled that, once upon a time, the same kunoichi had been infatuated with him. It seemed that had changed, after he killed her best friend, Sakura. Everyone was looking at him with undisguised loathing, which was different form the obvious concern and worry the had once looked at him with.

He could not apologize, it was not enough to simply say something, because it would not change a damn thing. They would still hate him, would still miss Sakura. Unexplainable dread filled him, because he knew that he was not getting away this time. They were going to capture him, then drag him back to Konoha by the ears. What happened next, he was unsure. A lot of people had loved Sakura, and so high chances were that he would be sent to the gallows. He did not deserve anything better than that.

Both Juugo and Suigetsu did not seem to realize their statistics on survival, because Suigetsu cackled at the offending group boastfully, while Juugo stood by confidently. Sasuke did not warn them; it was their choice should the decide to participate in the impending battle. He would not force them to.

At the same moment in time, Sasuke and Naruto streaked forward, attacking one another with no hesitation. No one fought along side Sasuke nor Naruto, knowing that the match was more important to them than anything else. Naruto would rather defeat Sasuke than become hokage. Even Kakashi did not dare go between them.

Sasuke saw from the corner of his eyes as Suigetsu, then Juugo fell to their Konoha opponents. They were not dead, instead unconscious, bound with chakra reenforced ropes, and then left to deal with later. Sasuke knew that his own battle was drawing close to an end, but he refused to give in, to surrender. Defeat was inevitable, even if he bested Naruto somehow, there were several other ninja waiting to take him down, should they need to.

They were deemed unnecessary however, because a second later, Naruto's punch broke through to him, the chakra from the kyuubi giving it more power. He was thrown back, and before he had the opportunity to prevent it, Sasuke had hit his head against the trunk of a particularly hard tree, and was rendered unconscious.

In his immobile state, Sasuke could only think of one thing: Sakura. Silently, he wondered if he did end up dying, would he be able to see her on the other side? It was a hard pill to swallow, but he had to put into consideration the idea that Sakura may not forgive him for his mistake, even if he did manage to find her. He would be able to understand if she was bitter, he had epically ruined everything. He feverishly hoped that she would be willing to put his mistakes behind them, and allow him to move them forward in the afterlife. He had a hard time admitting this to even himself, but Sasuke loved her more than anything.

**AN: Some people were wondering what was happening to Sasuke, and so here you go! I hope it is satisfying! Anyway, please review my story! ^^**


	11. Chapter 11

They thought that he would let them win, but they were wrong. Uchiha Sasuke knew that these would be his consequences, after killing Sakura, but he would not be lowered by his sentence. Tsunade, after waking from her comatose state, had been enraged when hearing that her student had been killed by the young Uchiha. It had taken an entire platoon of ANBU to hold her back from spattering Sasuke all over the stone walls of his cell. There was no second thought to her decision, and even Naruto could not prevent it.

Sasuke had been sentenced to death, by hanging. It was so degrading, thinking he was going to die in such a common way. He was supposed to be killed, losing in an epic battle against a worthy opponent. To die as he was going to was disgraceful. And he was not going to allow it.

They were, naturally, keeping him in a cell until it was time for his execution, and they had two ANBU guards just outside the door, waiting for the worst to happen. They would never have the time to prevent him, considering how little chakra he would need to trump them all. If he had to die, and it was not in a battle, then he would kill himself. Suicide was much more dignified than an execution where he was brought out into the public and jeered at.

There would be no satisfaction for those who demanded his death, and he refused to let them get what they wanted. Sasuke would not apologize, and he was not going to die how they wanted him to. They would get his death, and that should have been good enough. As much as he wanted to live through this ordeal, his educated mind had thought through every possible tactic to escape, but he knew there was nothing he could possibly do. Unfortunately, the remaining members of Taka were going to die as well, Tsunade knew no mercy.

Smirking to himself, he eyed the chakra restraining bands around his wrist. He had very little chakra because of them, but it would only take a little to commit suicide. They had, stupidly, forgotten to chain him to the wall, because that was the only thing that could possibly have stopped him. He summoned what little chakra he had, concentrating the lightning all onto his pointer finger.

For a moment, he only looked at the chakra chirping on his finger, taking in the beauty it held. Strength was beauty. Sakura had plenty of strength. And she was beautiful. It was pathetic that he found Sakura in everything, but it was to be expected. He was going to her at last.

Resolved, he lifted the finger to his temple, sending harmful shocks into his brain. His entire body went into shock, freezing then slumping over onto the cot, crashing seconds later onto the hard ground. The sound must have notified the ANBU, because the door shot up, and the dashed over to his limp body. He smirked in his victory, listening as they cursed under their breaths.

"Dammit! Go get a medic!" One of them shouted, while he stayed, checking for any life signs. Sasuke's eyes slowly shut, his breath leaving him. He never lost. No medic, even Sakura, would have been able to save him. His chakra was going to fry his brain until it was utterly dysfunctional.

"You lost, Konoha nin." He rasped with a cocky smirk, letting his breath leave him completely. The ANBU knew there was nothing to do then, The Uchiha was gone, off to some other world. He sighed, supposing that he should go inform the Hokage, and steel himself to face her fury. She was not going to be pleased with their failure to stop the Uchiha from suicide.

Sakura and Karin stood in the kitchen, hard at work to prepare some sort of dinner. It really was Karin's night to cook, but she was tired of being compared to Sakura's superior cooking, and so she asked Sakura to teach her a few things in the kitchen. She had been utterly understanding of her request for help, and so they both worked together, Karin taking in Sakura's technic as she made the various dishes effortlessly.

It was unusually silent though, because _both _Itachi_ and _Deidara had decided to watch them as they cooked, sitting at the table lazily. The silent feud that had formed during their lives had never been resolved, and so the entire room was weighed down by a heavy, thick atmosphere, and it only got worse as the time inched on. They did not so much as look at each other, but it was as if they were both ready to attack should they need to.

Finally, Sakura had enough of their ridiculousness. She let out an unexpected growl, and with wide eyes, everyone in the room looked at her expectantly, waiting for some sort of explanation. She turned to the kitchen table, where the men were sitting and pointed an especially sharp chef's knife in their direction. "Both of you boys out. Now." She grumbled, now pointing the knife at the door.

Itachi's eyebrows lifted onto his forehead, completely shocked by Sakura's statement. Deidara laughed, not catching her threat. Grinding her teeth together, Sakura threw the knife as a warning, and it cleaved a single strand of long, blond hair, then embedded itself into the wall behind them.

"Sakura, be careful with my Dei-chan's pretty hair." Karin muttered under her breath, reminding Sakura of whose man she was messing with. She smirked back at the redhead, who instantly understood.

"Both of you out. Unless you want to be subjected to the terror of girl-talk. We are not afraid to talk about you two in embarrassing ways with you right here." Sakura said, grabbing a bread knife and twirling it in her fingers. Itachi frowned, wondering what exactly Sakura had to say that could discomfit him. Deidara gave no thought to it, instead grabbing the musing Uchiha and pulling him out of the kitchen. That girl had a serrated knife, and he knew she was willing to use it.

Sakura turned back to what she had been doing, and a short silence instilled, until she thought of what to say. "So, Karin, where exactly are you and... Deidara?" She asked, neither of them aware of the fact that both Itachi and Deidara were just outside the kitchen, listening to every word they said. It was underhanded, in Itachi's opinion, but he wanted to know what exactly Sakura had to say about him.

Karin giggled to herself, not once looking up from the pot of miso soup she was stirring. "We went _all_ the way." She replied. She, while still laughing to herself, took in Sakura's flustered expression. "I do not see why you need to get all embarrassed just because we had sex. I am sure you and Itachi have plenty-

Then, she had to silence herself, because she saw the look on Sakura's face, clearly stating that she and Itachi had never done anything. A soft gasp escaped between her lips, and she waited for Sakura to say something for herself. Two people who had been sharing a bedroom for over a month should have done something. Itachi sounded as if he had the self control of a monk.

"Well, we _would _have, but... do you remember the morning that you had to come get me to make breakfast?" Sakura asked, abandoning her cut vegetables to turn to Karin. The redhead had already turned off the burner to give Sakura her full attention. She nodded her head to the question, and then gasped again, understanding what Sakura was going to say next.

"We almost did it then, but then we got interrupted. I had to tell him to go take a cold shower."

This must have meant something to them both, because the kitchen erupted with laughter. Deidara, who was listening in right next to Itachi, was having a hard time not laughing as well. He then had to execute the one signal that ever shinobi recognized from years of experience; Itachi swiftly drew his finger along his neck. It was more commonly known as the _shut-the-fuck-up-or-I-am-going-to-kill-you _signal. It worked, because this motion, along with his deathly glare, put Deidara in place.

"Sakura, that was three days ago! He has not done anything since then?" Karin questioned, all thoughts of dinner utterly forgotten. Sakura sighed softly, an almost sad sound, then shook her head.

"He has not tried anything since then, and honestly, I am sort of nervous. I have never done anything like this before, and even though I really want to, there is so much behind it. What if it is just for the sex, and we never become anything more than that?" Sakura whispered softly, glancing down to the side. Karin frowned, not liking her tone. It was easy to see how Itachi felt for her, so Sakura had no reason to fret.

"Sakura, he probably has not tried again because he knows you are nervous. I think he wants you to go to him, instead of taking it from you. He wants it to be willingly given. Honestly, you talk like a virgin." She huffed, crossing her arms. At this, Sakura could only blush. How was she supposed to tell anyone that Sasuke had given her first kiss, right before she died? She was an utter embarrassment as a girl.

Karin giggled. "So you _are _a virgin! Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Go find that sexy, sexy man of yours, and let him fuck you into oblivion! Give him that, and trust me, it will be well worth it." She snickered, instantly reminding Sakura of Ino. If Karin was anything like Ino, then Sakura knew that she was probably right. Then again....

"Karin, if I did that, then I would not get out until tomorrow morning. I sort of want to eat dinner."

Then, before Karin could retort to this, there was a loud bout of laughter, followed by the sounds of someone running away. Sakura growled, easily figuring that someone had been eavesdropping, and poked her head outside the kitchen archway. She looked just in time to see a very angry Itachi dragging Deidara around a corner at blinding speeds.

"They were listening in on us, right?" Karin sighed knowingly. Sakura grunted, frowning deeply.

"I will be back soon." Sakura grumbled. For some reason, Karin honestly doubted that Sakura was going to return any time soon, if she intended in following Itachi to his room. Well, there was two less people she needed to finish making dinner for.

Itachi was just waiting for it. He was certain that Sakura had caught sight of him just as he turned the corner, and in retrospect, he should not have been listening in on her conversation with Karin. In his opinion, it was Deidara's fault for his getting discovered, as he was the one who had been laughing. Itachi honestly did not understand what had been so funny in the first place. Did it matter that Sakura had never lost her virginity? He did not think so, but perhaps that was because he had never either.

Sure enough, there was a firm knock on the door, one that demanded he answer instantly. He sighed, knowing that she would break the door down if he did not get up, and stood from the small table. He slid it open, and she walked in, immediately pointing a finger into his chest.

"Uchiha Itachi, that was uncalled for. You definitely have an eavesdropping problem." Sakura said, stepping closer to him, and naturally, he took a step back. Silently, he cursed Deidara for the situation he was currently caught in. For some reason, he had the impression that the blond had done it purposely, for reasons unknown.

"You implied that you were going to speak of me. I was curious what you had to say." Itachi said simply, shrugging. She screeched in indignation at his lax mood. He, of course, did not know how impossibly embarrassed she was now that he had heard so much.

"It was not meant for you to hear, Itachi! It was girl talk!" She complained, poking his broad chest with another finger. He knew as much, but she would not want to hear that, if he planned to appease her.

"I apologize, koishii." He finally said. She muttered something to herself, something about how just because he had a wonderfully smooth and sexy voice did not mean that he could get away with anything. He begged to differ. He never said as much though, and when she turned to leave, his hand shot out, closing around her arm and pulling her back into his chest. She squeaked in surprise, not fully understanding what was happening.

"Koishii, I am tired of waiting like this. I know you are as anxious for us to do this as I am." He murmured. Itachi did not need to be specific, because Sakura already knew what he was waiting for, what they were both waiting for. Karin was right, it was high time that she gave him this much. Itachi would never be so shallow with her, to use her for only sex.

"As usual, you are right." Sakura replied, leaning up expectantly. Comprehending what she was fishing for, Itachi reached down to her, kissing Sakura on the lips viciously. The reaction was automatic, she moaned throatily, and he quickly took advantage of this, dipping his tongue into the sweet honey of her mouth. His tongue swirled sensually with hers, and while distracting her so effectively, he started pulling her to the bed.

She could not sit still while he doted on her, but instead had to comb her fingers through his long, silky hair, having untied it carefully. It was amazing, what he was doing to her, all with a simple kiss. It was tugging her into him, that need that she could never get close enough to him already unbearable. Groans slipped through her bruised lips, that sound enough to entice him.

He did not hesitate, but instead moved his hand from the tight hold the had on her hip, and went instantly to the zipper of her red vest. She gasped in surprise at the rush of cold air that hit her chest and stomach, her eyes flashing up to read his expression. At that moment, all she could tell was that Itachi was irritated by how much she was wearing. Last time they had almost done this, all she had on was a yukata, which was much easier to remove than an entire kunoichi outfit.

Something unreadable flashed through their dark depths then, and she let him pull her arms out of the vest, and Sakura watched as he crumpled the red material into a ball and then toss it across the room. He had already placed her on her back, and was looming over her smaller form, though fully clothed. Sakura did not think this to be entirely fair, and let him know how she felt by slipping a hand up his shirt to feel the plains of his muscular chest.

Itachi sat up for a moment, which greatly irritated Sakura, as he was her only form of warmth, but she was satisfied after watching him tear the navy blue shirt over his head. He settled back against her, the beautiful sensation of skin contact making her shudder pleasantly. He smirked knowingly, then crushing their lips together again. It was unmistakable, they both felt the strong connection building with every searing move of his sinful lips. It was as if nothing could ever satisfy, that every touch was not enough, that he could never be as close as he wanted to be. Sakura was sure that he was trying to suck out her soul through her mouth, by the way his mouth moved harshly against her own.

That was not to say she lay there lamely, Sakura pushed back at him just as forcefully. It was impossible to defeat him in a battle for dominance though, and so she let him trail his taunting mouth down, where he only stopped to lap at the junction of her shoulder and neck. Her groans sounded through the room loudly, as his mouth was no longer there to swallow them, and when his mouth reached her bra, he paused with dissatisfaction. It was in the way.

With little struggle, Itachi reached his long, slender fingers behind her back, unclasping the offending piece of lacy material. His sharingan instinctively spun into action from his once black eyes, as if he wanted to burn in the memory of what he was doing into his mind. The white bra was lifted away, freeing her from their restraints. His crimson eyes were heated with lust, and she only just saw this for a second before he dipped down, immediately closing his mouth around a pink, pearly nipple.

Sakura's head flew back in reaction to this, her entire frame shaking with pleasure at the feel of his hot, wet breath and tongue on the sensitized bud of flesh. She had been about to almost scream, when two fingers intruded her mouth instead. Sakura moaned, closing her parted lips to suck on the two digits, while he gave her breast the same treatment, his free hand moving from its bruising hold on her hip up to mold the other.

Holding his head in place with steady hands, Sakura scratched her blunt nails into his scalp, which he must have enjoyed, because he grunted softly against her skin, a noise that she had never heard him make. It happened so quickly, she hardly knew what was happening, but a moment later, she was wearing only a pair of thin, white panties. Her skirt and black shorts had been tossed to the floor. Something fluttered from just below her stomach, and she was unsure of what to do because of it.

Her eyes clenched together more tightly as his suckling became more insistent, the hand that had been fondling her lonely breast now tugging on them fully, squeezing them with enthusiasm. She kept sucking on those two fingers, attempting to keep her moans down to a minimum. Much to her frustration though, those fingers slipped from her warm mouth, leaving saliva as they moved down her stomach. Sakura could never have expected it, and was utterly unprepared for him to sneak them beneath the seam of her underwear, tearing them off almost violently.

If he could not smell it earlier, the spicy scent of her wet arousal teased his sensitive nose, making his mouth water for a taste. Sakura felt so ashamed, remembering the last time he had seen her naked in the same context. Flashbacks of the night she had demanded him to have sex with her swarmed her head, making her feel dirty. Instinctively, her legs closed together, as if she were trying to hide it from him.

All else was forgotten; his mouth parted from around her nipple, which was now especially cold, since it was wet with his saliva, and both his hands moved to either knee. Itachi did not appreciate that she was ashamed of what she had done, that was in the past, and she deserved to forget her mistake. Using a lot of his strength, he pulled her legs apart enough so that she could not hide herself.

"Koishii, do not hide from me, not now. I do not blame you for the decision you made that night, and neither should you. Let me in." He breathed heavily. When he said that, it had meant more than the physical act of letting him enter her, but emotionally as well. Sakura knew this, she knew that she did not need to fear him, and so she did as she was told, the muscles of her legs slackening. They snaked about his waist, pulling them even closer.

It was an unusual sensation, because Itachi still had both his pants and boxers on, but she could feel his hardening erection beneath his clothes. Sakura discovered instantly that she did not like it. She wanted to feel the heat entirely, instead of through the fabric of his clothes. Was this how every woman felt, when she slept with a man? Was there always that sense of desperation and need? She wanted to ask Itachi this, but she became distracted when he started to kick off his pants.

Sakura helped him with this, and though it was slightly better with only boxers on, it was still not close enough for her needs. She was becoming impatient.

He did not let this go to waste though, and his mischievous hands ghosted across her body teasingly. Itachi did not, in all truthfulness, know what exactly he was doing, but instead going from instinct. His experience was no more than what Sakura's was in this department, so Itachi could not be certain that he was doing this correctly.

Tired of waiting, Sakura decided to take things into her own hands, and tugged the pair of black boxers for him. Itachi let her do this, and when he was freed of all constricting fabrics, she gasped softly in surprise. All she could think was that Karin had been right about one thing, big dicks ran in the family. Sakura had seen plenty of male reproductive organs in her life as a medic, but he just topped them all.

Her eyes moved slowly up from the patch of thick, black hairs, her face a deep red. When they finally had reached his face, Sakura saw that he was smirking at her reaction. It was not his usual smirk though, but was full of lust. She licked her lips nervously, her stomach quivering in anticipation.

"Are you ready for this, koishii?" He asked, his voice unsteady. She could only nod her head, words unable to form on her lips. With her permission now, he carefully spread her legs more apart to make room for him. He hovered for a moment, as if he were going to change his mind, but he proceeded nonetheless. Itachi alined their sexes properly, then smoothly glided in.

Sakura groaned loudly in pain as she felt her flesh rip to make way for his girth. The distinct smell of blood drifted into the air, easily noticed by their sensed by their sensitive noses. He traced his move backwards, and then forward again, further in this time. Itachi grunted almost silently, the feeling of her tightness pulling him in unbelievable.

Her hips shifted, stretching open even more. It was painful, yes, but it was the beautiful sort of pain. He took advantage of this, thrusting in deeper. Her groans echoed through the silenced room, getting louder with every plunge into her, until he could completely sheath himself, and was tapping her cervix.

The pain wore away though, as animalistic pleasure took over her, controlling her actions. This pleasure started to completely blind her, burn her until she could only see white. She could only just barely register that she was crying out his name frantically. When her mind did comprehend this, her teeth bit down on his shoulder, silencing her wails.

A grunt reverberated from deep in his chest at the hurt in his sweaty shoulder, and the sound was repeated when her nails dug into the muscles in his back. Her spinal cord arched, pressing them together, until they were utterly seamless.

It became too much though, and as she felt herself going higher and higher, and so she had to release his shoulder. It only took one more thrust to send her as high as she could go, and she let out a scream as she felt herself falling back to earth. Her orgasm pulled him into his own, and he spewed his hot, sticky seed on the inside of tight walls.

He slowly became limp inside of her, and neither of them moved to change their position, with their bodies still tangled in an exhausted embrace. Itachi showered her face and neck with distracted, tired kisses as he began to regain his breath. She still panted heavily, the shock of her fall still jolting through her body.

"That was amazing, Itachi." She whispered as he slowly heaved himself off her, flopping to his back. He smirked knowingly as she curled up against him, sharing his body heat.

"It was, koishii." He murmured, more to himself than anyone else. She sighed, and slowly felt everything drift away. Itachi looked down at her when she did not reply, and smiled at seeing her already asleep. He huffed to himself, pulling the tousled sheets over their bodies and holding her closely into his chest.

It was the most impressionable experience in his entire existence, that short few moments that he lay there before falling asleep with her, but he came to realize something. He had always known it, but for the first time, his mind came to the conclusion that he had fallen in love with Haruno Sakura.

**AN: There you have it, the long-awaited lemon! I hope it was as good as everyone was expecting... if not, blame my inexperience. ^^ Next chapter will be especially fun to write, but I am not sure when I'll be getting it out. Next weeks is finals... I'm sure you guys understand how hectic that is. Anyway, please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Only slightly disoriented, Sasuke opened his eyes, and looked around his new surroundings. It seemed that he now found himself in the afterlife, wherever that may be. It was nothing like he had ever imagined. Sure, he had not been expecting fire and brimstone, but neither had he been picturing a quaint little room with polished floors and simple, white walls. He slowly sat up, gazing down at his hands, as if to make sure he was really there, and it was not some strange dream.

It was real. The silk sheets he was under were softer than anything his mind could make up. He threw them off and stood up from the expensive looking futon, stumbling slightly on his way to the door. It was time to explore, and if he had any luck, he would find Sakura.

Sakura woke to the feel of smooth lips on her shoulder, softly kissing the blade. She groaned softly, then stretched against her partner. With that small stretch, she felt the after effects of the previous night in a twinge of pain between her legs. It all came back in vivid detail, and she blushed crazily as she recalled what she did, and then because of the very naked man she was curled up with, flush to her back. He saw this much, and chuckled to himself.

"Did you sleep well, Koishii?" He breathed into her neck, sending shivers up and down her spine. She was almost certain, though not sure why, that he was doing it on purpose. His arms, which had been laying lazily on her hip, became more secure, tugging her against her tightly.

She twisted in his hold until facing his chest, then tilted her head up to look him in the eye. "Yes, I did, as a matter fact." She replied cheekily. He smirked, catching her tone, then gave her a kiss to the forehead. Then she sighed, relaxing in his hold. She never wanted to untangle herself from him, not for anything in the world.

Long, slender fingers trailed up and down her sides, almost as if they were teasing her. He chuckled when she giggled, then swooped down to take her lips. Itachi tilted his mouth for better access, and then ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, begging for entrance. She quickly obliged, and he hummed almost happily when divulging in her, drinking from her mouth.

Sakura moaned softly, but the sound never escaped her mouth. His hand gripped her back, cinching her bare body closer to his. He could never get close enough, never be completely satisfied, and he always would need more of her. She was his sweet temptation, and he never hesitated with what he wanted, Sakura being no exception.

She pushed softly on his chest, and he laid fully on his back, never even letting her lips go as she moved to straddle his chest shyly. Itachi placed a hand on either hip, holding her small frame in place. Her breath hitched at the feel of his cool fingers as they tightened on her waist, but she did not object. Her own, dainty hands went to twist into his hair, tugging slightly and enticing a grunt out of him.

When Sakura had set eyes on Itachi for the very first time, when she was still alive, she would never have thought him to be so capable of emotion. He had been standing across a clearing stonily, his expression blank, his eyes impassive. Now, as he passionately kissed her, massaging small circles into her lower back, she knew that he was one of the most expressive men she had ever met.

Almost very suddenly, he flipped them over, and his bigger form hovered over her as scandalous lips trailed her revealed body, leaving traces of saliva and little, pulsating, red, bruise-like marks as they traveled. He hummed softly, whether it be to himself or to her, she was uncertain. He did not stall, but simply went for what he wanted; closing his hot, moist mouth around a perked nipple. Sakura nearly screamed at that.

Sasuke followed his senses, his body prickling at the feel of familiar chakras. He assumed it was morning, because there was no one to be seen in the halls, but there were lights anyway. It was such a strange place, where he now found himself, but that did not matter. He recognized the chakra residues to several people he knew, and the only connection he could find between them was the fact that he had killed each of them.

He passed by a bathroom, where he heard Orochimaru cackling to himself, up to no good, as usual. Then there was a bedroom, which he supposed most of the rooms he was passing were, and he was certain he could sense Karin in it, her chakra at rest, so she must have been sleeping still. Next to that, he distinguish the signature of that blond terrorist, inserting a fair amount of chakra into something; a bomb, no doubt. Then, in the middle of the hall, he picked it up.

Sakura's chakra signal. He followed the traces of her energy, stopping only when he reached a closed door. At first, the only thing he could tell was that she was not alone. Then he distinguished the chakra signature that he was _very _familiar with. Sakura was in that room with his brother. Normally, this would have bothered him, but he knew Itachi was innocent now, and so he was sure Sakura was in no danger. He knew very well that Itachi had chosen Sakura to continue the line with him, once Sasuke was old enough.

There was loud, pleased moan that he knew was coming from Sakura. Something in his chest dropped into his stomach as dread set in. "_Itachi, we are going to wake everyone up._"

He had to wake up. This all had to be some sort of twisted nightmare, and he was going to wake up any second. There was no way his brother was in bed with the woman he loved. It just was not possible. Somehow, Sasuke knew that it was very true though. He was sure he was going to be sick.

"_If it makes you feel better, I can put up a sound barrier, Koishii._" He heard Itachi reply. Koishii? His brother even had an endearment for her? This was ridiculous. It needed to be stopped before he heard too much. Sasuke probably _had _heard too much as it was. He did the only thing he could think of; throw open the door.

Two angry faces swerved around to glare at the intruder, but the fury was quickly replaced with shock when they saw who was standing at the door, throughly interrupting their morning. It was the last person they could have possible expected, and the last person Sakura had ever wanted to see again. Uchiha Sasuke.

Sakura pressed lightly on Itachi's chest, and he wordlessly shifted off her, allowing them to both sit, facing the open door. Sasuke gaped at them both, but recovered quickly, a glare pulling his black eyebrows downward. To say he was angry was an understatement. Sasuke was livid. He watched furiously as Itachi gently lifted a white sheet to cover Sakura, protecting her modesty. Sakura's eyes met Itachi's nervously, as if she had something to say, but either could not, or was not sure how.

Itachi was concerned. He knew how much Sakura had been obsessed with Sasuke, he had been the one to help her recover from that. Now her tormenter was back, standing before them both angrily. As if they had done something wrong. Would she change her mind now that Sasuke was there, leaving him behind for her previous love? God, he hoped not. He had spent his entire life alone, and now, for once in his sad existence, he had someone. Surely their overseer would not be so cruel as to take that from him.

"What the fuck is going on?" Sasuke finally seethed. Itachi frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together. What they had been doing was quite obvious. He had been about to have another wonderful round of lovemaking with Sakura, when they had been intruded upon. Now he had the impression they would not make love that morning at all.

"I would think it quite apparent what we had been doing, ototo. If it is necessary that I explain, however, I will gladly do so." Itachi finally said with a disappointed sigh. Sakura playfully smacked him on the shoulder, muttering something under her breath that Sasuke was positive had to do with his blunt statement. They were so comfortable with each other, which was enough to sicken Sasuke.

"Why is this happening? Where did I go wrong?" Sasuke asked himself, staring down at his shaking hands. Sakura snorted at his reflective question, as if to imply there was a lot of things he did wrong in his life.

"I can make a list, if you want. Maybe we can start with when you left konoha." Sakura retorted. Itachi rolled his eyes, but did not disagree. Leaving konoha for the snake sannin was the beginning of a series of mistakes Sasuke had made. He had no right to say anything though, as he was the catalyst of Sasuke's actions. If the massacre had never taken place, then Sasuke would never have needed to become stronger.

"I am not the one who went from one brother to the next!" Sasuke shouted back. Sakura flinched, then blushed at his implication. He was right, of course. She had been desperately in love with him, and now she felt that way for Itachi, but that was not entirely her fault. Sasuke had broken her heart, had mentally tortured her, and Itachi was the one who had pulled her out of that. It was simply coincidence that they were brothers. That thought had hardly crossed her mind, considering how different they were.

"You are not completely blameless, Sasuke." Sakura whispered, her arms crossing over her chest. Sasuke noticed grimly that he no longer merited the suffix '-kun.' "I was broken, killed by you in more than one way. It could have been anyone at first, but Itachi was the only one who cared enough to stay with me through that nightmare. He held me through the night when I could not sleep for crying, and I suppose that was how the bond was first made. You cannot condemn me for what we have done together."

What she told him was an unexpected punch to the gut, one that ripped right through him. Surely, she knew how he felt about her; she had to. Could he really have hurt her so much with that simple kiss? Had he really have that effect on her mentality? He had never suspected it would torture her as it apparently had. The fact that Itachi had somehow involved himself, though, was slightly unsettling. Sasuke knew his brother was not heartless, but even before the massacre, Itachi had never emotionally involved himself in anything, really.

"I hurt you. I realize that. But did you need to stab me in the back? It was you; it had always been you, then you went to _him_. How could you do that?"

Sakura was surprised with herself. She should have been broken down at that point, crying and groveling at Sasuke's feet, begging for his forgiveness. She was not sorry for how she felt for Itachi though, and would not bow down at his undeserving presence. New strength surged through her veins, the thought that Sasuke had no true influence over he any longer leaving her the impression of empowerment.

"If I had ever meant anything to me, then you would not have killed me. You cannot expect me to be the forgiving child you knew as a genin."

Relief washed over Itachi at her words. He had nothing to be concerned about, after all. Sakura's once unhealthy infatuation had been outgrown, and she had no intention in going back to Sasuke, now that he had found himself in the afterlife. This should have been a given, he supposed, after they made love the night previous. Sakura had gifted him something that she had never shared with any other man, and she did not take that lightly.

"You were the same when you came to kill me, Sakura! You were still obsessed with me, still willing to do anything I asked of you! You _were _that little girl, still desperate for my attention and love! People cannot just change that easily!" He shouted, his fists clenching at either side of him.

Itachi spoke at last, after watching them go back and forth. "What she went through could hardly be considered easy, ototo. You were not there to see her unable to sleep at night, kept up by tears and tormenting dreams of you. She had become a shell of a person, her thought process skewed and her eyes blinded by her aspirations for you to become the man she wished you were. Even the Tsukuyomi could never have created such a nightmare." He murmured, shocking them both.

Sasuke had the strange feeling that Itachi had just scolded him in his own way for the way Sakura had been left. He had seen the terrifying visions created by the Tsukuyomi for himself, and was well aware of that realm's physical effects on a person. For Sakura to suffer something worse than that, and that _he _had caused something so awful, made Sasuke feel sick again.

"What was I supposed to do, let her kill me? I could not do that, I had to continue the clan. That was my job. I could not die." Sasuke breathed, as if he were talking to himself. Sakura felt a pang of guilt, and though she still was beyond angry with the tormentor of her dreams, she could comprehend how much pressure he must have felt.

She did not hate Sasuke, and though she would rather not ever see him again, she had wished him the best. If Itachi had never come along, she would never have been able to think so positively, of that she was certain.

Itachi sighed. He honestly never thought he would have to face his brother again, especially under such awkward terms. Sasuke was not supposed to have died so early after him, but he had ended up killing himself. It was a distressing thought to be sure. It was even more unnerving than before, because Sasuke had been told his darkest secrets, and Itachi no longer knew what his younger brother thought of him. _That _was a whole other conversation, one which he was unprepared to approach.

Sakura automatically sensed his distress, as if she were connected to him through a hot wire, and subtly moved closer to sooth him. He accepted this gratefully, moving an arm around her back. She leaned her head of disheveled hair onto his shoulder, letting out a deep breath of air. Itachi knew Sakura must have had healing abilities that extended to a person's spirit as well, because this small, comforting action was enough to warm the coldness that had fallen over him.

"Do you honestly believe that I had been capable of killing you, Sasuke? Sure, that had been why I went to you, but I knew there had been no chance of defeating you. There was a million things you could have done differently, but you did not. Now, we find ourselves here, and I am perfectly content with it; happy, even. I do not regret hunting you down, even dying by your hand, considering where I am now."

He would have no 'happily ever after,' Sasuke realized slowly, because Sakura could no longer be his, with his brother draping his strong arm about her naked back. Sakura was not going to jump into his arms, then beg for him to take her, body and soul. He would not fall asleep with her each night, then wake up with her every morning. _She had moved on._ He refused to give her up entirely, at least he did not want to, but Itachi never lost anything that was his.

What now? Sasuke silently wondered. The only thing he had been looking forward to in death was Sakura, but she was no longer his. _Itachi_. His brother. If nothing else, maybe he could use this chance to repair their damaged relationship as brothers, put things back as they had once been, long before the Uchiha massacre. After finding out the truth, there was so many things he had wanted to ask his deceased brother, and now he had the opportunity.

Itachi watched as Sasuke's face fell, and confusion took over. Seconds slowly passed, feeling more like hours, when he finally came up out of his musing, his mind made up on something. Their dark eyes met cautiously, and a certain understanding flowed through them. It might be difficult, impossible even, but they both wished to rebuild their fallen relationship as brothers. They had both changed so much thought their separate, miserable lives, and things would never flow exactly as they used to, but it was worth the try.

This small exchange of glances did not go unnoticed by Sakura. She felt a certain warmth at their brotherly care, hoping that they could, after so many years of being apart, be able to fix their bond. Knowing Itachi, it would work out. He always got what he wanted, herself being a prime example.

"I want to talk, aniki." Sasuke asked timidly, reminding Itachi instantly of a younger Sasuke, who always used to tail behind his older brother, looking up at him with pride and determination. To hear Sasuke call him that again brought him back, and although he normally did not appreciate any reminders of the Uchiha clan before the massacre, when they had been planning underground, it was not so bad this time.

An invisible smile tugged slightly on his lips. "We will, ototo." The _but I want to shower first, _was quickly relayed through their black eyes. It still irritated Sasuke that Itachi had gotten Sakura, but for now, he would have to be more lenient. He nodded his head silently, then shutting the bedroom door to give them privacy to cover themselves more properly.

Sakura was the first to step out, and Sasuke knew that what she was wearing could not have belonged to her. He tried to ignore the fact that she was clothed in _Itachi's _boxers and tee, and instead focused on her appearance. Then he noticed how swollen her lips were, and that there were red marks all along the pale skin of her neck, courtesy of Itachi. This entire situation was going to prove itself problematic, it seemed.

"Itachi needs to take a cold shower. You should know this is the second time this week that he has been left hanging, so this is rather important to him." Sakura huffed, taking his wrist and then tugging him down the hall, retracing the steps he had taken to reach their shared bedroom.

"Where are we going?" He grumbled, trying to block out the implications Sakura had just made about his brother. Of course, it was natural that she talked like this, he reminded himself.

"Before I show you around, there is something you have to do, on account of all morality." She replied quietly. They stopped in front of the door that he had earlier sensed Karin's presence behind. Sasuke frowned, but did not get the chance to stop her before Sakura knocked on the door.

"Hey, Karin! Get up already! I have all the juicy details!" She called, smirking to herself. Sasuke's eyebrows scrunched together in bewilderment, wondering what gossip Sakura could possibly be talking about. It must have been something important to Karin though, because the door shot open with enthusiasm.

"I already _know _he pounded you into the ground. We could hear you from the goddamned kitchen! I told you it would be worth it."

Ah, that gossip. He did not want to hear more about how Itachi had bedded Sakura, and tried to yank himself free. Sakura would not have it though. Karin noticed the small struggle, and gasped at seeing the young Uchiha behind Sakura. Sasuke really did not want to be there, considering Karin's infamous infatuation.

"Apologize, you retard." Sakura demanded, hammering a fist down on his head. He glared at her subtly, now understanding how Naruto must have felt with Sakura always whacking him upside the head. He said nothing though, turning to look at the disgruntled, red-haired kunoichi. He supposed Sakura was right in demanding this of him, after he had killed her cruelly. She _had _been his teammate.

"I should not have killed you, Karin. I apologize." He muttered. Sasuke earnestly expected her to cry tears of joy and jump at him passionately. She, however did nothing.

"Sure. Apology accepted." She answered, then turning to Sakura, a mischievous smile playing across her face. "I want details now, Sakura. Tell me _everything _that sexy, sexy man of yours did last night."

Sakura laughed, then replied, "I cannot tell you everything right now, but I will say this much: it _does _run in the family." Both girls started to giggle in a way Sasuke knew was not innocent. Part of him did not want to even know what ran in his family.

She had been, of course, alluding to their first real conversation, when Karin had proclaimed Itachi's assets were exceptionally large, and they had come to the conclusion that all Uchiha must be just as developed. Neither were willing to tell Sasuke this to his face though, no matter how much he was dying with curiosity. They had gotten in trouble with Itachi about the same thing, and it would be stupid for Sasuke to scold them for that reason.

"I told you there was no way someone with what he has could possibly be gay, or hormone-less. It just is not logical." Karin remarked, patting her friend on the back in congratulations. Not every woman was given the opportunity to be deflowered by such a god of a man. Now Sasuke was certain that he did not want to know what they were talking about. He was better off in the dark.

"Well, I did not know him as much then, and I had never seen it for myself. You can hardly blame me for what my opinion was." Sakura replied proudly, her arms crossed against her chest. Then they both broke out in giggles again, disturbing Sasuke throughly.

"I will never forget the look on his face when you opened the door after hearing about that, and then you teased him about the microphone-brush incident. Hilarious is the only word I have for that. Is he still angry that you saw him doing that?"

Sasuke blinked. He _was _trying to block out everything entirely, but he could not help but to be curious when Karin said something about his brother and a microphone-brush. They did not look at him though, and so he was kept in the dark again, even though he wanted to know more about this one. The girls continued to chat away regardless, utterly ignoring the fact that he was standing there. He did not like being ignored by them.

"Sakura." He murmured, drawing the attention of both girls. They looked annoyed that with how they had been cruelly interrupted, but paused nonetheless. Sasuke gave her a look that clearly said he did _not _want to be standing there, and she gave and exasperated sigh, supposing that it was about time she brought him into the living room.

"I will give you details later, Karin." Sakura grumbled, turning to leave. The other kunoichi nodded her head in comprehension, then watched as they both left, Sakura having released his wrist after he had apologized. It was amusing to her, because if Sasuke had showed up a month previous, She and Sakura probably would have ended up fighting over him. Now, however, neither of them had any interest in Sasuke, at least not in the same way.

Sakura saw from the corner of her eye as he silently sighed, then as he frowned down at the floor while they walked on to the living room. She had to admit, it would be complicated, but they had been teammates at one point, and so when things went wrong, there was always one thing they could do, if things needed to be resolved. She did not particularly look forward to that, but it was necessary.

She could not allow for Itachi to mend his relationship with Sasuke, but herself remain distant from him. It could potentially make things more difficult between the brothers, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Besides, she wanted to show the same level of maturity that Itachi had, and prove that she really had moved on. Itachi had suffered needlessly for Sasuke, and then killed at his hand, but he was willing to forgive and forget that.

Suddenly, Sasuke paused in the middle of the hall, then looked her straight in the eyes. "Sakura, we need to talk about what happened to us."

**AN: This chapter was sooo much fun to write. I have been planning this part out in my head for months, and so it was exciting to finally write it out. There are a few things I suppose I need to clear up about Sasuke (or seasick, as the computer likes to call him), though. Itachi had said earlier that Sasuke would never be able to enter purgatory, but now he has. Itachi had been assuming that Sasuke would never commit suicide, and because their little world was for specifically people Sasuke killed, if he killed himself, he would be able to enter. Hope that makes things less confusing for you, if it had been confusing at all. ^^ Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

This was not exactly what Sasuke had thought would happen when he told Sakura they needed to talk about them. He had hoped it would be a more private conversation, but apparently, she did not feel it necessary for it to be between just them. Instead, Sasuke sat in an armchair across from a cozy little couch, where Sakura was comfortably curled up against Itachi. It was true that he needed to fix things with them both, but he did not think he would have to do it at the same time. Especially if he wanted to speak about their current relationship, or whatever they had going on.

Sakura and Itachi both sat expectantly, waiting for him to say something first. Sasuke sighed, unsure of how to even start. He had never thought that when he died, they would both act so indifferent towards him. Sasuke knew the truth, and even though he never dared to hope he would be reunited with his older brother, he had always thought that Itachi would be much more... _caring_. There was no need to hide his true character, yet he showed the same aloofness as always, except for Sakura.

Then there was Sakura. It had never crossed his mind as he watched the blood drip down from her cold lips that she would meet Itachi in the afterlife. He never suspected that they would form some sort of strange, consoling relationship. For said _relationship _to progress to the levels he had earlier witnessed, and Sasuke was left with the impression that Sakura meant more to Itachi than anything.

Though Sasuke did not know his older brother as well as he had once as a child, he was certain that Itachi was not the sort of person to haphazardly sleep with women. In fact, the way they seemed so intimately connected to one another as they sat on the couch, Sasuke would not have been surprised if Sakura had been his first. It was as if they moved against each other as one, in the simple, subtle movements of settling against each other on the couch. Sakura would shift slightly, and then Itachi would move to accommodate her. It seemed almost natural.

There was so much _love_ between them, dare he say it. Something about how they acted together told Sasuke that even if he had been the one sitting on the couch next to her, after a night of teasing and lovemaking, it would not be the same. Itachi seemed to accept her on more than just a physical level, but and emotional one as well. It was not something to take lightly, that much he was certain of.

He finally spoke. "Why did you do it, aniki?" He asked quietly. There was no need guess of what he was speaking. The Uchiha massacre; first and foremost.

Itachi sighed. "I assume that Madara managed to tell you what he saw that night, and what I told him, despite the precautions taken. What he said is not entirely true, however, it was skewed, and said only to manipulate you."

This got Sasuke thinking about the strange encounter with Madara in the cave after his vengeful fight with Itachi, as he was beginning to recover. "He said they made you do it, that you killed everyone... Kaa-san, Tou-san, even your lover. I did not remember you even having a lover." Sasuke mumbled thoughtfully. Sakura stilled silently next to Itachi at the mentioning of this girl. Of course, she should not have expected to be his first love, because he was certainly not hers. Sasuke had, unfortunately, claimed that.

"It was not common knowledge, and our parents did not want anyone else to know until I came of age. I was set up for an arranged marriage from the age of three. Meiko had not been my lover, and I hardly knew her apart from that she was a member of the Uchiha clan. I only met her twice during my life, one of those times being the night I killed her." Itachi replied, almost more to Sakura than to Sasuke. She relaxed at this, easing against him again.

"You killed everyone though, and he helped. Why would you let Konoha do that?"

Again, Itachi sighed. Perhaps his sense of logic was not as obvious as he had assumed. Once hearing the truth, Itachi had thought Sasuke would be capable of deducing his reasons for allowing the massacre to take place. "You were born after the third shinobi war with Suna, and so you never saw how awful war can be. I was young when I experienced it, and it left an impression on me. I decided at the age of four that I would never let anyone, my little brother least of all, to see the same horrors I had. Kaa-san had been pregnant at the time, and Tou-san had left it up to me to protect her. I had killed to save her, and you."

Sasuke was quiet. He had already known that seeing war at such a young age had turned Itachi into a pacifist, but he had not known the extent of what Itachi had experienced. The first time he had ever killed anyone, it had been Orochimaru, and he had almost been sixteen. Itachi had been four. It was sickening to even compare the difference in age.

"You can never fully understand how terrible it was to see people dying left and right at such a young age, and seeing that was half of what made me decide to complete the mission I was assigned. I had no doubt of what the consequences would be should the Uchiha revolt, and I could not allow Konoha to be consumed in a civil war. So many innocent people would have died, and it would have been my fault if I had not stopped it. Konoha would have been weakened, and for all we knew, our enemies would come lining up to overtake us. The Uchiha were being selfish, and it would be unfair if everyone had to pay for our mistakes."

Sasuke closed his eyes, looking back to the first time he had met Madara, and remembered that he had said something very similar. It seems that the elderly Uchiha had known his pupil better than once thought. Still, Sasuke was not sure what to say to Itachi. He had heard this before, but it was somehow different when hearing from him, instead of a third party. It had sounded cruel and heartless from Madara, but not so much from Itachi.

Wordlessly, he turned to Sakura. Itachi, he felt was excusable, but for what she had done, Sasuke had a harder time accepting her choice and forgiving. Sakura met his eyes with a frown, cinching slightly closer to Itachi, obviously uncomfortable with being under the spotlight. Sasuke rose an eyebrow in irritation, waiting for some sort of explanation.

Sakura sighed, supposing she should start with the two dreams that had tortured her for three weeks. "Every night, for three weeks straight, I had two dreams about us. I woke up shortly after them each night, and feared falling back asleep. I would run off to the kitchen, brew myself a pot of tea, then cry. I would fall asleep again at the kitchen table every night, crying over you, Sasuke."

Like a jolt of electricity, Sasuke felt guilt strike right into him. What he had done to her was most heinous, he realized. The only thing that he could deduce as the cause for her misery was that kiss he had given her. Sasuke had been angry with her, and it was given to make her feel horrible. Clearly, it had the effect he had intended.

"What happened in these dreams?" He asked softly, wondering what cruel things he had done to her in her mind. Was it the scene of her murder, replaying in her head each night as she tried to sleep peacefully? He had a hard time thinking back to that time himself, and he had not been the one to die.

Sakura smiled sadly, looking down at the hand she had knitted with Itachi's and decided to be perfectly to the point with him. "My first dream, you had proposed to me. In my second, we had a son named Takumi. He was really smart, too smart, as a matter of fact, and you were coming home from a long-term mission that day. In my second dream, I told you I was carrying your child again. You had been shocked, but at the end, you told me that you loved me.

"Those two dreams kept me up all hours of the night, and I was too depressed to see what I had. I had rejected Itachi because of you, but every night, when I fell back asleep at the kitchen table, he carried me to bed. He suffered right alongside me, and I did not find out until the end of those three weeks. He had said I was blinded, and I realized he was right. I could not keep waiting for someone who would never love me, would never be the man who haunted my dreams, and that I needed to grow up.

"I decided I needed to get over you, and honestly, I was not certain how," here she paused, mentally editing out the part where she had clumsily tried to seduce Itachi. "but he never left my side. Eventually, we grew close. You saw for yourself what the results of that were."

Sasuke mulled over this, and was perfectly composed when he responded. "You loved me. I _still _love you." The unspoken _You belong to me, and only me, _went naturally with this proclamation. Itachi ground his teeth together at what his younger brother was implying, but could not will himself to speak. His actions must have been loud enough for Sakura to interpret however, because she squeezed his hand tighter.

"I moved on, Sasuke. The fact that he is your brother has nothing to do with anything, so get that idea out of your head. Itachi is not some replacement to you; I love him." She said, purposely emphasizing the word _love_. Still, Sasuke did not want to accept these feeling Sakura now had for Itachi. In his mind, he knew it was fair that his brother got her, he sure as hell deserved it, but Sasuke was naturally selfish. Most of his life, he had spent alone, and working for a cause that would only ever benefit himself. He wanted something, and he was not used to being denied it.

"I have known you longer." Sasuke retorted, trying to find some sort of even ground to fight on. Sakura shook her head, Itachi growing even more tense next to her.

"We have never even had a proper conversation with each other in years. Even as genin, you did not pay any attention to me, and we were on the same team. You hardly know anything about me, and you presume to think that you have 'known me longer?' That is complete bullshit." Sakura answered without missing a beat. Itachi seemed to relax a little more at this reply, and she smiled shyly up at him. The entire encounter was stressing him out.

"Itachi, come help me make breakfast." Sakura said before Sasuke could come up with a proper retort. His relief was clear to her, though he hardly showed it in his calm countenance. She stood from the couch, and he followed after her into the kitchen. Sasuke did not bother with going after them, it was very clear to him that he had lost this time around.

It really was his fault. He had pushed Sakura away, right until the moment of her death, and she had suffered for it. It was natural that she would want to move on from that, that she would let someone else, who quite obviously deserved her more, enter her damaged heart. If he had not been so heartless, she would have never fallen for his brother.

It was clear that Itachi had gotten Sakura to fall head over heels for him, not that it had probably been difficult. She had been injured, and Itachi was, from what he remembered as a child, a soft, caring individual. Most would have never have considered this, with how silent and emotionless he often appeared, but Sasuke knew very well how Itachi really was. He was exactly what Sakura would long for, after having her heart broken.

As for Itachi; he had been lonely for his entire life. _He _had never really rejected human contact, as much as Sasuke had, and he, though socially awkward, craved the attention and doting of a woman. Sakura clearly delivered that sort of care that his older brother never experienced in life. Sasuke should not have been so angry with them, should have understood that they had both moved on, had needed devotion from someone else.

Now, as he was slowly realizing, he was in a place he was not welcome. Itachi did not hate him, despite the fact he had killed him, and was more than comfortable with accepting Sakura's affections. Sakura, it was apparent, did not hate him either so much, but was perfectly happy with being the lover of his brother. Karin, though he supposed he should be pleased by it, had no interest in him any longer. Anyone else he met, would not be pleased to see him. Orochimaru, perhaps, would not be so angry with him, and like the pedophile he was, would likely start chasing him again. Not that he was looking forward to that.

Put out by the current turn of events, Sasuke decided to join Sakura and Itachi in the kitchen.

"Does it trouble you that Sasuke is here?" Itachi asked slowly, eyeballing a large pan of eggs he was supposed to be frying. Sakura sighed, pulling down a toaster, then smirked at him. Plugging in the toaster and sliding in the first two slices of bread, she stalked over to him, standing on her toes to kiss his downturned lips.

"I am fine, Itachi. I swear. I just do not know how to act around him. I never told you this, but Sasuke was my first kiss." She murmured, looking down at her feet in embarrassment. He stared at her for a moment, somewhat surprised by this revelation, then lifted her chin with a slender finger. He then leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. The suddenness of it all shocked her, but Sakura did not, by any means, object.

Almost instinctively, she moved closer to him, stepping on his feet to reach higher. His hands blindly felt around until finding their place on her back and neck, holding her as he wanted to as he tilted his head to get more access. She allowed this, mewling in pleasure when his tongue glided alongside hers. Sakura loved how he was able to make her feel; as if she was the single most important person in the world.

She eventually had to tear her lips away, out of breath and slightly dizzy from his ministrations. Itachi, however, did not so much as pause, instead tracing his sinful mouth to her ear, nibbling on her lobe and listening as she desperately tried to stifle her groans. Sakura tightened the arms she had around his neck, lifting her hips and grinding them into his. She could already feel him hardening, and as much as she wanted to continue, it was not the best time to do so.

"Itachi," she whispered, "we are supposed to be making breakfast. I really do not want people to walk in on us like this."

He hesitated thoughtfully, considering the consequences if someone did indeed walk in while they continued. "You know, I had every intention in throwing you on the kitchen table and eating _you _for breakfast." Itachi said smoothly in a sultry tone. She shuddered at the thought, seriously tempted to let her lover have his way, but refrained herself. The kitchen table was not an ideal place to make love, no matter how deliciously sexy it sounded.

"_Later_, Itachi." She finally said with a sad sigh. This decision was reinforced the moment Sasuke stumbled into the kitchen, his entire face beet red. Itachi grumbled in dissatisfaction, pulling away.

Almost as if a second thought, he dipped his mouth back to her ear and murmured, "If not now, then I will press you up against the wall in the shower, and take you there. Is that agreeable?"

His hot breath fanned her neck, and Sakura could not even respond to his claim. Itachi already knew she would not, by any means, object to his idea, and so he turned back to the fried eggs, as if nothing had ever happened. Sakura turned to the toaster, frustrated to find that the toast was now charcoal. She sent him a glare, sticking her tongue out at him childishly. He did not turn from his eggs, but smirked all the same.

Sasuke slumped at the kitchen table, trying to get the images of his brother making love to Sakura in the shower, but finding it to be impossible. He was well aware of the fact Itachi had said that to her more for him to hear than Sakura. Sasuke was almost certain that he did not deserve for Itachi to rub in the fact that he was screwing Sakura.

Okay, so maybe he did, after the hellish life both Sakura and Itachi went through because of him. Still, he did not want the picture of them in the shower together. Mulling over this, and just as Sakura was finally finishing with the malfunctioning toaster, the remaining members of purgatory decided to join up in the kitchen. To say they were surprised of seeing Sasuke there was an understatement. The first one to say anything was Deidara.

"What a dumb ass. Goddamned emos and their sick pleasure in killing themselves, un."

Then, naturally enough, the entire group cracked up. Sasuke huffed, then crossed his arms over his chest. "Like you have any right to speak. Who was it that decided the best way to defeat me was to blow yourself up?" Sasuke muttered, clearly distraught. His reason for suicide had nothing to do with pleasure. It was simply a matter of retaining some dignity.

"My, my Sasuke-kun. It has been a long time since we last saw each other, has it not?" Orochimaru cackled perversely. Sakura turned from the demented toaster and glared at the snake-man.

"If you are going to rape him, can you _not _tell us about it? None of us care about your gay romance with little boys." She scolded. Sasuke flushed, then turned a deathly pale. Surely she did not believe that he had ever had sexual intercourse with the snake sannin, did she? That was a kick below the belt. He was not, in any way, homosexual. He wanted to speak, to retort to this idea, but only choked on saliva.

"I think that you all are going to kill my ototo." Itachi finally said, taking the eggs off the burner. No one bothered to disagree, because for the most part, everyone in the room wanted to get some sort of revenge for their untimely deaths. Danzo, predictably enough, was the only one to not bother with the young Uchiha. He was too busy picking apart the breakfast that was set in front of him.

The table was rather crowded, with another person joining them, but with the bantering of everyone, Sasuke was quick to leave the kitchen. The only thing he could possibly be thankful for was that Karin no longer had such an infuriating crush on him. It was a little strange to watch her flirt with a certain blond terrorist, but he supposed it was better than seeing her giggling with Itachi. That would have been sickening.

Sasuke wordlessly followed his chakra remnants back to the room he had woken up in, hoping to relax if but a little. He was downright exhausted, after dealing with the trouble of the people he had killed. It had been a big morning; he had discovered the close relationship his brother shared with Sakura, that Karin had moved on, and that Orochimaru still had a disturbing interest in him. It was almost too much for his mind to process.

_two months later_

Sakura stood in shock. This should not be happening. It should not even be possible. She was dead. Itachi was dead. _Everyone _was dead. But lo and behold, right on the little screen was a big plus sign. How could she be... pregnant?

Karin had said, after she had suffered a month of throwing up every morning, that she should take a test. Sakura had scoffed at the thought, assuming because she was no longer alive, that it should not have been possible. Clearly, she had been very wrong about that. How was she ever going to break the news to Itachi?

They had never thought of using any sort of protection; they were _dead _for god's sake! This sort of problem should never have come up? She had never even considered that life could come out of death, that a child could be born when she was already six feet underground.

What would Itachi think? He sure was not expecting to be a father, and for all she knew, he was not interested in being a parent. They had never talked about it, as it should have been too far-fetched to think of. Sakura was not even sure she wanted a child. That was not to say she would do something to get rid of what they had created, but she wondered if it would even survive birth. Would it be deformed?

There was a sudden knock on the door, surprising Sakura. "Koishii, are you all right in there?" She heard a voice ask softly. _Dammit_, it was Itachi. She could not lie to him, not with all he meant to her. Besides, she was going to have to tell him eventually. It was better to tell him now, when she first found out about it.

It was a hard thing to ponder over, but what exactly was she even going to tell him? _Oh, yeah... remember how we have a violent round of beautiful lovemaking every night? Well, apparently, I got pregnant. Interesting, right? _That was not going to fly. She was certain that it was going to shock him, just as much as it had shocked her.

"No, not really. In fact, I am certain that something is wrong." She whispered, closing the toilet lid, then sitting on it. Sighing, she rested her head in her hands. Concerned, Itachi opened the door and entered, closing it again after himself. He crouched down next to her, then noticing what she had curled into her fist.

Itachi carefully took her hand, uncurling her fingers one by one, until taking it from her. He looked in confusion from her worried face, and then glanced at the small screen. His eyes widened, and he blinked. Just as she did, he was certain that it could not have been possible. Yet, that plus sign begged to differ.

He was not sure what to even say to her. It was not her fault, and he knew that, and he was not angry. Part of him was sort of pleased by the idea that Sakura was carrying something he had put in her. Sakura, he realized, must have been terrified. He could tell just by the blank look in her eye. She did not want him to know how scared by this she really was, but he knew her better than anyone else.

"It will be okay, Koishii." Itachi whispered, placing the pregnancy test onto the bathroom sink counter and then easing her off the toilet seat. She curled up into his chest, tears slowly forming in her viridian eyes. He sighed, breathing in her sweet, strawberry scent, and wrapped two strong arms around her anxious form.

It was natural that, considering how many times they had made love without even a thought of contraception, she would conceive. Perhaps it should be unusual, as they had both been dead for quite some time, but he had learned from a young age that nothing was impossible. Her pregnancy was proof of that much. Though he had never put any thought into bringing forth an Uchiha heir in his life; he had left that to Sasuke, Itachi was pleased by the news Sakura had to share.

"Itachi, it is not natural. What will our child even look like when it is born? Will it be a stillborn?" She questioned, her frame shaking subtly. Itachi shook his head, stroking her soft, short locks of pink hair. She was understandably confused, and he could comprehend that much, but he did not want her to think that their child would be deformed.

Itachi carefully used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the tears trailing down Sakura's cheek. "It _is _natural for you to conceive, Koishii. We have had sex unprotected so many times it is not even funny, and this is what happens. You are the medic, so you should know this better than I."

Sakura let out a shaky sigh. "I _know _what happens when two people have sex. I just never thought I could get pregnant. Did you?"

Silence fell, and dragged on for quite some time. Itachi thought, and wondered if before, when he made love to Sakura, would he have wanted her to conceive? He wanted the child now, he liked the idea of being the one to continue his clan, after being the one to destroy it, but life had never permitted him to do so. Who knew that death would?

He finally answered. "I did not know that in my death, I would be given such a blessing. Our child is a beautiful thing, and when it is born, months from now, no one will be able to even comprehend how breathtaking it is. I want this child, and I want to see you _with _this child. Do I make myself perfectly clear, Koishii?"

Warmth flooded through her, and a soft, tentative smile broke through her overall fear. Her arms snaked about his neck, pulling them closer as she laughed to herself. Itachi was, of course, right. Their child would be something more beautiful than anything either of them had ever seen. It was a gift, not something to curse; their child was going to be a miracle. After all, no other time had life resulted from death.

**AN: I noticed something. I have a habit of making my characters get pregnant. I noticed something else. Itachi is a warrior poet. Okay, sorry, that was just me being random. :D**

**Anyway, I sorta did a time skip there. I was all pissed at Sasuke, and did not want to write any more of his stupid-emo-angst/woe is me crap. I actually was planning for Sakura to get pregnant from the beginning. Cuz a boy and girl + sexytimes = baby. Yeah. Common sense.**

**There is much more left to this fic, so rest assured! Most of the time, they only last until chapter fifteen, but this one will be longer than that!**

**REVIEW!**


	14. Chapter 14

Sasuke looked first at his brother, and then at Sakura, his disbelief clear. It should not have been possible, yet the evidence was very obvious. Not that he thought Itachi was one to lie, but Sasuke checked to see for himself with crimson Sharingan. Sure enough, Sakura was pregnant. As ironic as it was, Itachi had found a way to continue their clan, even though he was dead.

He was not sure if he should be happy for them or not. Instead of replying to his brother's shocking announcement, Sasuke could only stare at the invisible child growing in her womb. It should not have been happening, but it was, and it was best he accepted it. Nothing he should or did was going to change much anyway.

Sakura's eyebrows scrunched up in concern, and her lips pulled down slightly. She had told Itachi that he would be the one in charge of telling Sasuke, but that had been well over a month ago. He had bid his time, wanting to wait until it was certain that Sasuke was over her, but if he waited any longer, the pregnancy would begin to show itself.

Smiling slightly at the thought of their child growing large enough to show, Sakura threaded her fingers with Itachi's. He had been rather blunt with his younger brother when telling him the news, and Sakura was sure that it would not have seemed so shocking if the man had eased into the subject. Then again, Itachi would not be him if it were not for his frankness.

Her lover seemed perfectly content in waiting for Sasuke to respond somehow, and so she resolved to be patient. After all, she was pretty certain that her being pregnant was a lot for Sasuke to process. He had once wanted to be in Itachi's position, and for all she knew, he felt no different. At least he never really showed how much he objected to their relationship publicly anymore.

Sakura was not sure if Sasuke would ever privately get over their relationship. He had only ever dreamed of killing Itachi, and then of rebuilding his clan. Sasuke may have completed the first part of his goals, but he was far from ever finishing the second half. Karin had moved on to Deidara, and she... had found something special with Itachi. Something that she would not give up for the world.

Sasuke continued to blink, and this lasted for quite some time. Eventually though, he knew that he had to say something. As much as he was green with jealousy, Itachi was his brother. He cared about him.

"How far along is she?"

Itachi was brought out of his silent revery at the sound of Sasuke's voice. He had been so deep in thought about his growing child, he had forgotten for a moment where he was. "It is nearly the end of her first trimester." He murmured.

Sasuke gaped at them both. "And you guys did not decide to tell me about this until _now?_" He asked, his voice on edge. Sakura blushed, rubbing her arm uncomfortably and looking off to the distance. Itachi, however, was not ashamed by the fact he had not said anything in the beginning.

"Sakura instructed me to enlighten you when I saw fit. That was not until now." He replied smoothly, keeping his expression as blank as always. Sasuke was, naturally, unpleased by how his older brother had decided to keep him in the dark for so long. He should have been one of the first to know. Yet, he would not be surprised if Karin had found out awhile back.

"I had every right to know about this from the beginning," Sasuke huffed, crossing his arms stubbornly.

While it was mellow then, Sakura could see how fragile the situation was then. Sasuke was upset about not knowing, which was understandable, but he was not the most stable of people when confronted with something he found unpleasant. The entire scene could go sour very fast, and though it was only beginning, she saw it best she intervened.

"I see where this is going, and I do not want to see either of you fighting." Sakura interjected. Itachi and Sasuke both looked at her, clearly surprised with her insight. She had known them both long enough to recognize when they were reaching their limits. Sasuke had a rather short fuse, and was quick to fire up, and though Itachi was more calm, he was fast to defend himself.

They were brothers, and though she had never had siblings, Sakura knew what that meant. It was rare when they did get along, even if it were not for lack of trying. Both brothers strived to comprehend each other's feelings, to predict what was wanted and not, but some things they had to face. It had been a decade since they had spent so much time together in close quarters.

It was not that they purposely got into their little arguments; it was as if by instinct. They had both changed in their years apart, and it was hard for them to get along because of it. Sakura saw this in every attempt either would make to get along, but admittedly, it was difficult.

"I had no intention in beginning a quarrel with Sasuke." Itachi stated blandly. She gave him a dubious look, but could not think of anything to say back. Of course he never had any intention in starting fights with Sasuke, but they just happened all the same.

"Good then. I am going to have some tea."

Sakura tiredly stood from the little table in Itachi's room, ignoring their curious glances. It was humorous how they both wanted to ask why she so suddenly had the urge make tea, yet never voiced their question. So, when they said nothing, Sakura closed the shoji door, smirking to herself.

She had to wait only a few moments before she heard them getting up from the table, undoubtedly to follow her.

Karin was not sure if she should be happy for her friend or not. Sakura was happy about the pregnancy, that much she could tell, but surely it was frustrating, the way the Uchiha brothers guarded over her constantly. Though she never did complain about it. For all she knew, Sakura enjoyed the attention they gave her.

She, for one, did not ever want to have children of her own. Deidara was wonderful, and she liked him more than she should, but it could never be more than what it was then. Neither of them had a desire to produce offspring, and as great as Sakura made it out to be, pregnancy was not something Karin ever wanted to go through.

Though it had taken a week or two more after Sasuke finally was told about it, Sakura's pregnancy started to show. It was the beginning of the second trimester, and though Karin did not know much about it, Sakura was satisfied with the pace she was growing. She was the one with the medical background, so Karin had not bothered with second guessing.

Sakura stretched then yawned, quite pleased with the afternoon nap she had just woken up from. Itachi was at the table reading a book, and though it was out of her line of vision, Sakura already knew he had a pot of tea waiting to be shared set out for them. She smiled, then slowly sat up. Itachi set the book he was reading down, then turned in place to look at her. Though his facial expression did not change at all, there was a certain gleam she could see in his eyes, giving away his pleasure.

Putting his reading material down, he made his way across the room to her, sitting on the bed next to Sakura. She turned her gaze from him, to the small bump of her stomach. It was still the second trimester, and so there was a long ways to go, but it seemed so miraculous already. She could only imagine what it would be like once she gave birth.

"How was your nap?" Itachi broke the comfortable silence. They never had a problem with quiet; sometimes it was something they both preferred.

Sakura rested a dainty hand on her abdomen. "It was good. I always feel tired... too tired to do much of anything." She muttered, her fingers stroking over the material of a plain tee shirt. She always felt closer to their son whenever she did that.

Sakura honestly was not sure what gender the fetus was, but something told her that their child would be a son. Strong, brilliant and beautiful, just like his father. It was only based on instinct, but this was something she was certain of. She was under the impression that Itachi would enjoy the experiences of having a son, and it was something she hoped she could give him.

"You sleep a lot more often." Itachi noted, more to himself than to her. Sakura grumbled to herself, taking his comment as an insult rather than anything else.

"Well, I _am_ the one who is making a baby in here." She said grumpily, her fingers stretching out over her abdomen. Itachi rolled his eyes, already used to her mood swings, and even have predicted it when he first knew of the pregnancy. He instead hummed in agreement, then placing his large, warm hand over hers, spreading his long fingers out.

"And you are doing a marvelous job of it, Koishii."

Sakura laughed softly, as if to approve of his statement, then looked up into his charcoal orbs. She froze then, seeing a familiar light in them, and knowing what he was going to do before he did.

He always loved how beautiful she looked, especially now that she was carrying his child. Itachi was tempted easily by her, and though it went against his self-taught control, he found himself longing for her often. Sakura simply seemed to glow with feminine glory, as if she were in her prime. In his opinion, she was. Itachi did not even bother to resist his urges, his gaze immediately falling from her green eyes to her lush, perfectly kissable lips. He knew then what he craved.

Before he could make the first move, Sakura snaked her arms around his neck, her fingers finding their way into his long hair. It was not a moment after that his lips possessed hers. She could not help the way he made her feel, now more than ever, with her hormones running ramped in her body.

Sakura reacted nearly instantly, mewling with the delight his kiss gave. Feeling the need to do so, he deepened the kiss, completely divulging into her mouth. Heady, contented moans escaped from her throat, and her blunt fingernails dug into his scalp. He purred with pleasure, and his hands scored her body with a certain expertise.

She was not sure what it was, but something about Itachi, and the way that he could make her feel; Sakura knew everything would work out for them. Itachi was not the sort of person that accepted failure, and he would be sure things went right, no matter what obstacle they faced. That was just the sort of person he was.

Itachi slowly lifted his lips from hers, listening to the joint sounds of their panting. He rested his forehead on hers, his eyes lazily peering into hers. She meet his gaze with piercing viridian, then softened at seeing the care he held in their endless depths. At that moment, Sakura knew she wanted her son to have smoldering black eyes, just as his father did.

With that thought, there was a small flutter to be felt from her womb. Sakura's eyes widened in shock, and instantly shot to her stomach. Though she was at first concerned, it was quickly replaced with gentleness. A small, shy smile broke out across her lips.

"Koishii, is there something the matter?" Itachi asked softly, his voice hinting strain. He had seen how her eyes had flown instantly to their child, and it was reason enough to worry. Then he saw that strange, nervous smile come out. He was not sure what it meant.

"Itachi, I... I felt the baby."

Understanding flowed through him. He watched in wonder as she guided his hand to the spot she had felt the fluttering, then stilled in shock upon feeling it himself. All he could think was that life was an amazing thing. He remembered when his mother was pregnant with Sasuke, and how he had found it astounding, but it was different now. This child was something he had made, and to feel it move left him in awe.

His lips turned up slightly, just as Sakura's had, but then his mouth moved to a complete smile. It was crooked, and a little awkward, but it was _his _smile, and that was all that mattered to Sakura. When he started to chuckle quietly to himself, she could not help but to giggle alongside him.

She knew what this all meant to him; her pregnancy. In a way, he was showing how capable of love he really was, after being the murderer of his own family. It may have taken death for him to get at that point, but Sakura was certain having a child of his own would help Itachi come to terms with his mistake. He was entitled to that much, no matter how much he denied the fact. Whatever the case, him having a child that needed him as a parental figure for love and nurturing could only be a good thing, in her opinion.

Itachi had never thought, when plotting his own death, that he would ever be so blessed. Sakura had never been any more than a possible wife to Sasuke, which while this was important, he had no real feelings for her then. When she had died, he had been angry, furious even. Not so much at her, even if she had sought out her own death by confronting an unstable Sasuke, but at his younger brother. Sasuke had given up something that should have been his right.

It had felt selfish of him, but after a life of sacrifice, Itachi had wanted something of his own. Sakura had come along, and he knew what he wanted, as soon as he had cooled down. It was her. He was the sort of person who always knew what he wanted, and it was no different with Sakura. Physical desire had moved aside to emotional ties, and though he had never dreamed it possible, Itachi had found himself very much in love with her.

She had taken longer, because she had already been in love, even after Sasuke had killed her. When she had moved on from Sasuke, she still had been wary of him, and the chemistry that seemed to flow between them every time they touched. She had not wanted to be hurt again, which he had understood. Itachi was nothing if not patient. He had helped her comprehend how _he _felt, and gradually, she grew to see him less as Sasuke's older brother, and more as someone who loved her, and someone she could easily love back.

It had only been a matter of time, even from the beginning, before she gave in. When she had, Sakura had given him the most amazing gift anyone could bestow upon him, and even though she did not like him thinking it, he would never be able to repay her. This child, _their _child, was going to be the most beautiful creature that life had ever seen, because their child was a miracle.

Sakura was a medic, and so she saw her pregnancy more from the scientific side of things, and though Itachi was not a religious person, especially after having known someone like Hidan, he felt that the child she was carrying was supernatural. Of course, the physical reasons for why she was pregnant made more sense than anything else, after all they had done together, but something about the entire situation seemed phenomenal.

"You are the most amazing woman in existence, did you know that?" He murmured, resting his forehead against hers again. Her laughter jingled pleasantly in his ears, and though his eyes were directed towards her womb, he could easily picture her expression.

Sakura's eyes would be sparkling with her laughter, something he had noticed was becoming more frequent. He could only assume this meant that being with his child made her truly happy, even if she had told him as much several times. He was certain she was tired of him asking if it pleased her to carry his offspring, but he always loved to hear the answer she gave, because it was always the same.

"How about you tell me something I do _not _already know." She replied haughtily. He smirked, then reached his fingers out across her stomach, holding the growing fetus gently through its mother's body. Itachi felt another faint fluttering, and met her eyes.

Sakura felt herself sinking into his dark charcoal orbs to be utterly consumed. There was a light she saw in them, and she knew that he was unbelievably happy, almost unnaturally so. It did not concern her, and she instead encouraged it, because he really was healing.

Though he rarely spoke of it, Sakura knew Itachi still hurt over what had happened with the Uchiha clan. She never brought the subject up, not wanting to put him through more pain than he already was suffering from. Thoughts of creating something, after destroying so much, seemed to sooth him though. Perhaps some of the damage inflicted on his mentality was permanent, but not everything had to cause him misery.

He still felt some guilt for Sasuke on his conscience, but Sakura did not blame him for what had happened, nor did she want to regret it. It had always been Sasuke's dream to be the one to rebuild his clan, but honestly, he had blown his chance when killing her. Itachi could never have known that Sasuke would off himself, and that he would be there to see the clan continued with the woman he loved, and his older brother. Yet, there was nothing to do on the matter. Even if Karin was interested, which she was not, Sakura was well aware she never intended to have children of her own.

Sasuke may have been left to watch his older brother's children come into existence, but he still got what he wanted. The Uchiha line was not cut off completely. Even if there was no way to return back home to earth from wherever they were, there would be an Uchiha clan. Even if he would never have the joy of seeing his own son for the first time, to hold that child and have that feeling of never wanting to let go, Sasuke would be happy to see firsthand the continuation of his clan.

Itachi huffed amusedly, seeing her thoughtful, nearly blank expression. "You are also adorable when you go into a daze." He purred, nuzzling her neck. Sakura could not help but to laugh when he showed her so much affection. That was not to say Itachi was not a very loving person, he simply had issues with showing it.

Sakura curled up against him like a contented house cat, perfectly prepared to laze with him for the remainder of the day. She knew Karin was desperate for help with dinner again though, and so it was best she got up, sooner rather than later. She was still revitalized from her nap at that point, but the energy would not last long.

He had planned and schemed for long enough, and finally, he was getting some results. It had been disheartening when he had arrived, but now that the young kunoichi and the Uchiha who had pursued her had gone far enough to create on offspring, he could move forward.

Orochimaru had been the first one sent to the afterlife, because he had been the first one Sasuke had ever killed. Though he had always criticized him for never killing any of his... _targets_ in training, he was glad for it later. It had given him some time to be alone, and to plan.

At first, he had been uncertain of how he was going to prepare his escape at all, without any materials to research from. Then, somehow, he had found everything he needed in his chambers. However unpractical it was, Orochimaru was confident that the information he had collected was accurate. All the same though, for a time, he could not do anything, being alone.

Deidara showed up, much to his aggravation, not too long after he had. Still, this did him no good, because what he needed was a woman. As feminine as the terrorist looked, he would not suffice. So, he had waited for it to come. Eventually, he knew, Sasuke would have to face a female, and then he would have to kill them. Only then could it work out in his favor.

When Itachi had suddenly shown up, Orochimaru had been stunned. Sasuke may have been strong enough to kill him, but Itachi was on a whole other level, as much as he hated to admit as much. He was certain that somehow, it had not been an even fight, and that the elder Uchiha had lost purposefully. Still, this did not pertain to his plans, and so he had not put too much thought into Itachi's death.

Finally though, a woman had been sent into the afterlife by Sasuke. Karin had been perfect for what he had planned up his sleeve, and not long after her arrival with Danzo, Orochimaru had gone into action. It was well known that Karin had a certain obsession with Sasuke, and this point made his job all the more easy. Sure, he had to play the part of an old, gay pervert, but it would have been worth it.

Karin's feelings for Sasuke had transfered over to Itachi, as soon as he played a video tape of the Uchiha in the shower. It amused him to no end how everyone seemed to play right into his hand, because she instantly started to attempted seducing the great Uchiha Itachi. He did not have to say much of anything on the matter to her.

Try as she might though, Karin made no effect on the emotionless Itachi. Orochimaru's only hope was that after months of no sexual interaction with anyone, he would have to release somehow, and he would use Karin for just that. He had not even begun to imagine that he had never had any sexual contact with anyone before his death.

So, Karin had failed. It would have been easier if she had succeeded, but it no longer mattered. Sakura had shown up not too long after, and though it had upset him a little, Itachi had quickly shown interest in her. Orochimaru had wanted Karin to be the girl to get impregnated, seeing she still had a fearful loyalty to him. Sakura would be difficult, but not impossible. She merely made his job a little more hard.

When Itachi had shown his interest in Sakura, he had only to make it easier by telling Karin to back off. She could not refuse him, not that Itachi had ever shown her any preference to begin with. As he had predicted, Sakura had been more complicated, and had taken longer to warm up to Itachi. It had taken longer than he would have liked, but now she was with child. That was all that mattered to him.

It was simple enough really; his plan. When a child was born, it brought a new, fresh soul into the afterlife, one that had never seen earth. This soul is more prone to go to the living earth, and so, he could use this as a connection out of purgatory. It was a complicated, and forbidden jutsu, but he would have to seal the infant's life force from its body when they came to join in childbirth, then use it as a link.

It was a devious, inhumane plan, but he was not known for any better. Itachi would be furious that his innocent little child had been used for his evil scheme, but once Orochimaru was gone, there was nothing he could do.

As for the child, it would not be able to survive without its life force. Orochimaru may have wanted to have a fresh pair of Sharingan, ripe for the taking, but it was not worth risking his escape. That new life was going to refill his old one, making it possible for him to return. Besides, Madara had to be out there somewhere, and he had to be medically insane, with his age. It would not be long until the old fart cracked, and then he could acquire his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Orochimaru cackled to himself as he passed the kitchen. Sakura was inside, peacefully making dinner, and unaware of the plot surrounding the life of her child. All he had to wait was a few more months, and he could be alive again, scourging the shinobi world for every ninjutsu ever created.

The only one with any inkling of suspicion was Karin, and Orochimaru doubted the kunoichi could do anything to stop him, not when his jutsu was already prepared for the moment Sakura went into labor.

**AN: I am amazing. I updated two fics in the same day. I would like to apologize for taking so long to update this fic. I feel so bad about that... it's been almost a month, hasn't it? I know you are angry at me for taking forever, but I beg of you, do not give up on me! I have every intention in finishing this fic!**

**Orochimaru is so evil! And I finally let you guys in on his little plot. I wonder, is this enough to convince you guys to continue reading this story? I sure as hell hope so.**


	15. Chapter 15

Itachi was suspicious of something. That Orochimaru was up to something, though he was uncertain of what. That snake was always up to something, but this time, he was sure it had to do with him, or even worse, his Sakura. It had started with this look he had seen in those yellow eyes when looking at his pregnant lover when they passed in the hall on the way to the kitchen.

Since then, since seeing the demented, disturbed look in Orochimaru's eyes, Itachi had strived to keep the sannin from his woman. It was a lot harder than it should have been. The snake somehow found a way to know exactly when they would be somewhere in the compound. The kitchen, the living room, in and out of their bedroom and bathroom. This was often, because with Sakura's pregnancy, she had to use the toilet every other half an hour.

Itachi was being patient about it, as he always was, and had decided to go to an expert on ultra-creepy snake man. He considered talking to Karin, but thought better of it. While she was well over him, that did not lower her level of annoyance. Sakura may have made friends with the kunoichi, but Itachi still could not stand the sight of her.

So, while Sakura was taking an afternoon nap, he went to see his younger brother in his room. It was the farthest from everyone else, just as Sakura's room had been, before she moved in with him. Now there was a cluster of rooms, and one person off on the edge of the compound's borders. If anyone was going to know about Orochimaru's sinister ways, it would be his one apprentice. Sasuke had much more of a right to know about the possible danger surrounding Sakura, and the next Uchiha.

He stood outside the shoji screen door, without even a chance to knock. Sasuke must have sensed his chakra signature while he walked down the hall, and before Itachi expected it, the shoji slid open for him to enter. The room was a little disorderly, at least for an Uchiha's taste, though Itachi could hardly blame him. Sasuke's upbringing had been an unconventional one, and he had never really had the chance to be completely brainwashed. Though, when it came to being organized, it was not such a bad thing.

Sasuke grunted, waltzing back into his room, then plopping himself down on a cushion by the table. He moved away a small stack of books on the tabletop, putting it on the floor instead. "What is going on? Why is Sakura not with you?" He asked, huffing and crossing his arm. While he could pretend he did not care too much, it was obvious he did.

"There are a few things I wish to discus with you. Sakura is still sleeping. I would rather her not know about this unless absolutely necessary." Itachi replied stonily, gracefully crossing his legs and slipping to the floor. Sasuke rolled his eyes at Itachi's usual emotionless attitude. He was somewhat used to it, even though he shared many of the same traits as his brother. He was simply not accustomed to other people acting how he often did.

Sasuke frowned. It was unlike Itachi to hide anything from Sakura, after they had been preparing themselves for nearly five months to have a child. They shared everything with each other, even if it was rather strange for someone like Itachi, who was somewhat secretive. This had been bewildering to see in the beginning, but after seeing them together for so long, it became natural. This was probably the main thing that had helped Sasuke move on.

Sasuke was not the sort of person to speak much at all, not that his brother _was_. He began to realize that with Sakura, he would not have been a different person, unlike Itachi, who was the opposite of who Sasuke had thought he was. It had been no more than a physical attraction, and even then, that had not been too strong. Sakura could never have been the person he could share his every thought process with, while Itachi had found that in her.

Sasuke exhaled silently. "Sure then. Tell me what is going on." He replied tiredly, glancing at the pot of cold tea sitting in the middle of his table. He would have to wait until Itachi left for a caffein boost, it appeared. Itachi noticed his younger brother's glance to the pot of tea, and he noted how it was no longer steaming.

With a high level of self-control, his hands flew through a series of seals, and he murmured the name to a mellow fire jutsu under his breath. The porcelain pot whistled, and steam came from the spout once more. Sasuke muttered to himself something about Itachi being a _goddamned showoff_. Itachi did not deny this much, and could only just barely perceive the thanks Sasuke also gave.

"Orochimaru is up to something." Itachi immediately came out with it. Sasuke was not the sort of person who could easily stand for riddles and subtle hints, and it was better to be blunt with him.

Sasuke blinked a few times. He did not see how this was something too strange; Orochimaru always had a new scheme to play out up his sleeve, and surely this would not be too different from all the times before. As especially _evil _Orochimaru was, the sannin was not too clever, and was the sort of person to use the same tricks over. He was not nearly smart enough to dupe both him and his brother.

The smirk that showed on his smug face was hardly perceptible, but it was enough for Itachi to notice. "Are you sure you are not just being paranoid, aniki? I highly doubt that Orochimaru can do much. He is weaker than me, if that is any indication."

Itachi shook his head though. "No. Normally, I would agree, and I would not even mention it, but this time is not the same. I believe he is targeting Sakura. I have enough faith in my abilities to protect her, but I cannot help but to feel anxious. This may sound odd, but I was hoping you could tell me what to expect from him."

A small frown showed on Sasuke's face, and his eyebrows knit together. He may not have been in love with Sakura, but he certainly did not want anything untoward to happen to her. She was his friend, and most importantly, she meant the world to his aniki. Itachi saw this, and was not surprised by it. For his otouto to react as he was did not come as a shock.

He simply wondered if they would come to the same conclusions about the conspiring sannin. They had both, at certain point in their lives as missing-nin, had to deal with the infamous Orochimaru working to steal their devilish eyes. It was safe to assume that once Itachi's child was born, he would hold the same traits of his father, with the Uchiha genes being dominant.

Realization struck on Sasuke's young face. "He is likely going after the Sharingan again, the bastard."

Itachi nodded his head in agreement. They had no reason to believe otherwise, after the sannin's actions in the past. When failing to get his slimy hands on Itachi's precious sharingan, he had sought after Sasuke's. He had failed again though, and he was finally getting his chance to receive his own, fresh pair of sharingan. It seemed like a foolish plan, to steal something from the child of Uchiha Itachi, after having been easily defeated once. This is what he could not trust.

"Yes, this does seem the most probable. He knows that it would be near impossible to get to the child through me, however. You may have been the one to kill Orochimaru, but once, long ago, we had faced off."

Sasuke was surprised by this. He had never known that Orochimaru had gotten close to his brother at one point, close enough to duel. It must have been a draw, or something to that effect, because there was no other reason to leave such scum alive. He looked curiously at his brother, wondering if he would be willing to share the details of this.

Itachi sighed. "You probably already know this, but at one point, Orochimaru was a member of Akatsuki." Sasuke nodded, indicating for him to continue. "The only reason he joined that organization was because he wanted my sharingan. He assumed that if he could observe me long enough, he would find a way to take them from me, then implant them into himself.

"I would not allow this, however, and had known from the beginning why he joined. For the most part, I tended to avoid him, not wanting to deal with dueling. He, though, had no intention in letting me go so easily. Orochimaru knew I was powerful; too much for anyone in Akatsuki to handle besides Madara. He tried to find a way around this.

"He nearly gave up entirely on getting a set of healthy Sharingan, until succumbing in desperation. Instead of even forming a proper plan, he decided to attack me when he thought I was not looking. He clearly did not know how sensitive Sharingan are, or he would not have dreamed of sneaking on me.

"While Sasori was his partner in Akatsuki, we had been assigned a simple espionage mission in Konoha, since we both knew the area. I had my back turned on him for one moment, and he struck. It had been fruitless, naturally, and I had quickly subdued him with my Sharingan, and so he had lost. After that day, Orochimaru left the organization to create oto. I never thought I would seriously have to deal with him again, after having so throughly defeated him."

Sasuke thought about this, then understood why Orochimaru had seemed so desperate to get him out of konoha at the chunin exams. In Konoha, he had been safe, both because of the people who were his comrades were there, and were willing to protect him, but also because when he still lived in konoha, it had been easy for Itachi to keep tabs on him. Itachi had always been on the look out for him, however unlikely. Orochimaru did not want to be stopped again, and before his sharingan had even reached their prime, he plucked him out of konoha.

"That is why you are worried. You have already kicked his ass once, and because it would be stupid of him to mess with you again, he must have some alternative to getting his hands of a pair of sharingan." Sasuke commented, making sense of why his brother had mentioned the story behind his battle with Orochimaru.

"In essence, yes." Itachi let out a breath of air he had not known he was holding in. "Though it is pointless to go after my child's eyes, Orochimaru still appears to be targeting Sakura. He must have a reason for it, I am certain. I simply cannot figure _what _that reason is."

Sasuke nodded, understanding. "And, because I practically lived with the bastard for three years, I would know how his sick, twisted mind works, at least better than most." He finished for Itachi. There was a short moment of silence, in which Sasuke thought. Then he spoke again.

"The three years I spent in hell with Orochimaru, I did little but train with him. He is a devious man, that much I learned from him then. I always knew he was after the sharingan, and from the beginning, I planned to use his weakness for my eyes against him. That was how I was able to kill that snake. If he is not trying to get a new pair of Sharingan, I honestly have no idea what he could be after."

That was exactly what Itachi had been afraid of. Not even Sasuke, the closest person to have gotten near Orochimaru knew what the sannin was up to. It made him sick to his stomach, because he had not the slightest clue of what to do, besides keep him away from his lover. Some reason or another, this alone was not satisfying.

"Very well. I suppose there is little more I can do than I already am." Itachi sighed, worry clear on his normally expressionless face. Sasuke really did wish he could do something to help, but there was nothing more he knew. Orochimaru was an allusive man, and had been hard to follow, even after having trained under him for several years.

Not wanting to leave Sakura alone any longer, Itachi got to his feet. "Please keep your eyes open. I do not want that man anywhere near Sakura." He softly told his otouto, closing the shoji screen again. Sasuke nodded his head before it shut to show his agreement, then turned to his tea. The pot was cold again.

_Month Six_

Sakura did not feel comfortable in her skin, at least not as at peace with it as Itachi was. At first, she had been worried about where their child would have his room to grow, with so little extra room in their space. Surprisingly, one morning, when they had least suspected it, they had woken up to find a doorway into an added room to their quarters.

When they had found this little room, Sakura had promptly begun to _nest_, as she liked to call it. Though she could not be sure, with no ultrasound to confirm it, Sakura was positive that her child would be a son. So, going with this assumption, she had set up the appearing bedroom for a newborn boy. Itachi liked to help her, in most cases, he insisted _he _do everything, but Sakura wanted to be the one to plan the room's setup.

She spent most of her time there, in the rocking chair, cradling her abdomen as she did so. Often, she would fall asleep, then wake up to find herself in bed, Itachi's strong arms about her smaller form.

Yes, she was uncomfortable being naked, with how her body was awkwardly trying to stretch around the fetus growing in her womb. She protested to his teasing antics, and though her entire body was sore most of the time, Sakura did not want him to bathe her. She was not beautiful when she felt like a fat elephant. Itachi disagreed, and ignored her refusals.

He, for one, loved how she looked. Therefor, when he got the chance, he would gently pull her into the bathroom, then stand her up in the shower, and wash her entire body; from head to toe. It may have embarrassed her somewhat, but the curves of her growing womb and full breasts brought him a strange sense of pride. He had caused such changes in her, and to see it himself brought him more joy than anything.

The soap suds would slowly run down her rounded stomach, his hands touching widened hips and his eyes breathing in hormonally darkened nipples. These were the physical changes he saw in her pregnancy, but there was still that certain brightness in her eyes, warmth in her cheeks. Even though she had yet to give birth, mentally, she was a mother.

He had been told once that a woman becomes a mother when she discovers that she is with child, and that a man becomes a father when he holds that child for the first time. He was not sure how much of that was true, but he was certain of one thing. Sakura was already a mother of a child, though he had yet to be born.

Itachi was not certain what it felt like to be a father, so he was not sure when he would know how that changed, but it was obvious in Sakura. She did not think of anything but her child, which was normal for any mother. Itachi did think of his child very often, but there was still something he had to keep in mind. Orochimaru had yet to reveal what his ploy was. Therefor, he had to protect his nesting lover, more than anything else.

In privacy, he could be more relaxed with her, teasing her and subtly flirting, though half of the time she never picked up on it. Whenever they moved somewhere out in the compound though, he watched over her like a hawk watches its prey. Nothing was on his mind besides her protection. Sasuke found this to be a little extreme, but Itachi would rather be safe than anything else.

_Month Seven_

Karin, though showing absolutely no interest in having her own children, enjoyed helping Sakura prepare for the arrival of her child. It was rather unusual, after living the harsh life of a kunoichi, entering purgatory, and then going through such domestic ordeals. Cooking became the most difficult thing to do, and then Sakura had taken the time to help. After that, there was really nothing hard to deal with.

Until Sakura had decided to recruit her.

Karin could not understand _why, _in the seven hottest circles of hell, Sakura would want to sew clothes for her newborn. It could have been as simple as wanting little jumpsuits for the baby, but _no_, Sakura had to make it more complicated. Itachi had tried to explain the concept of _nesting_, but Karin still did not make sense of why she would chose to do everything instead of letting it happen on its own.

Not that she really complained too much. Sakura was happy with what she was doing, and from what Karin could tell, she would not be if she was not doing something for the child herself. Karin did not remember too much of her mother, or father, for that matter. She had been young when they died as honorable shinobi, and Karin had gone her own way after that, ignoring their warnings to never become a kunoichi.

Her parents were good, though she never regretted going against their will to train as a kunoichi. For some reason, Karin often saw her own mother in Sakura, and that was why she was so willing to assist. If it were not for that, Karin doubted she would have even considered getting close to those evil needles and thread.

She was not one for sewing, and she made this very clear to Sakura before helping, but so far, she had not done something too bad. Karin had carefully followed the patterns, and been sure not to get blood on the material. Eventually, she had discovered that sewing was not that bad, when it came to pastimes. That is, until she asked Sakura how she had learned to sew so well.

With a bright smile on her face, Sakura had told her, _"I only started training to become a medic-nin when Tsunade returned to konoha. Before that, I was the one to stitch up everyone's wounds. I had to be good at it."_ There had been a sad expression on her face, as if she had felt useless, but Karin would not have any of that.

When Sakura had told her that, Karin kept imagining sewing closed someone's gut with baby blue thread, and it honestly grossed her out. She managed to not show her disgust too much, and eventually got over that again, thinking that at least Sakura had found a way to help her genin team, when she had never been able to. She refused to have a pity party for herself, but she wished Sakura would realize how fortunate she really was.

_Month Eight _

Itachi was unbelievably proud, seeing his little lover, so heavy with his child. That miraculous, beautiful child, to be born in a world that was already dead. He was a selfish person, and he did not deny it. Itachi had wanted to keep her to himself, and not share her beauty with anyone else. It may have been wrong of him to be so egocentric, but something about what that blond terrorist said bothered him.

He had said it straight out; Deidara wanted to sculpt Sakura.

The suffocating anger had surrounded him, crushing whoever was close. Itachi did not want anyone else to be allowed to look at her, at least not as he did. Sakura already was a piece of art, if you asked his professional opinion, and it was unnecessary for her to be recreated, when her gloriousness would outshine whatever that terrorist sculpted. But, _no_. Sakura had to butt in as well.

She had thought it an honor, completely ignoring the menacing aura rolling off him in thick waves. As an afterthought, Itachi had wondered how Sakura could disregard what could have been the strongest murderous intent she ever felt.

So, much to his displeasure, Sakura had decided to let Deidara sculpt her, not even bothering to ask _why _he wanted to make a figurine of her to begin with. Naturally, as the protective alpha-male, Itachi had confronted the blond, set on killing him if dissatisfied with what he was told. Unfortunately, the terrorist would likely reappear by the next morning, with no harm done to his person. It would be pointless, with the end-result of Deidara still being there, but gratifying, all the same.

Deidara had been frank in his first answer. _"I am an artist, yeah. It is what we do."_

This had not been good enough for Itachi, who had demanded a better response. Without his even realizing it, his dark eyes had bled into the crimson of the Sharingan, his three tomoe swirling around dangerously. Deidara had flinched, then fumbled for something else to tell the possessive Uchiha.

"_I have never sculpted a pregnant woman. I think it would be different, yeah."_

This was an even worse answer, at least according to Itachi. The three tomoe spun even faster, forming into three blades, becoming the Mangekyo Sharingan. Deidara was not sure what he had even done to piss off the Uchiha, but he was tempted to run off and forget even sculpting Sakura. Then he remembered.

"_Sakura wants me to, yeah."_

Shock, and thankfully, remembrance flashed across the furious Uchiha's face. He blinked a few times, knowing then that Deidara was right. Itachi did not want to upset Sakura, when this made her feel so proud, especially when she thought she was like a drunk, waddling duck. He should have been happy for her, not angry with the artist who wanted to capture her beauty, even if that was impossible.

He sighed, his eyes smoldering back into its usual dark charcoal. Deidara let out a quiet breath of relief. _"Fine, you may do as you wish."_

_Month Nine _

Sakura sighed, rubbing her abdomen with slow, caring motions. She had an unbelievable amount of energy, but Itachi insisted that it was better she not use it all up. He was certain that it was best she saved it for when she went into labor. That was fine, she supposed. Her body was too sore with the extra weight to move around all that much anyway.

She was past the point of caring what everyone thought about her rounded form, and almost blatantly showed off her pregnancy. It did not matter too much if she was about as graceful as an elephant. She was not taking dance lessons, and her kunoichi abilities had yet to really apply to where she was. Sakura was fine with being useless. It took a lot of work to make a baby, after all.

She was nearing the thirty-seventh week in her pregnancy, and though pain was not something she was yet to become accustomed to, after nearly nine months, it was not the same. It felt similar to how cramps during a menstrual cycle used to be, and she was not certain what it meant. She mentioned it to Itachi, who had forced her to rest, and take a longer nap.

Sakura had not objected, and agreed easily to curling up in bed for an hour. She had laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling, while Itachi had taken to sitting in the prepared baby-room. He liked reading in there, which she thought was cute, though she was determined to never tell him as much. He might not have appreciated it anyway, and she did not want to deal with an especially grumpy Itachi.

Smiling, she recalled the time she had asked what he thought about naming their child. His answer had been quick and decided. Kazuki. _Shining one; victory. _Sakura liked it very much, because it seemed to fit well. She had agreed to his choice wholeheartedly, glad that he had put some thought into it. Sakura wanted him to be as much involved with Kazuki's upbringing as she was.

A soft, satisfied sigh escaped through her lips, and she reached for a glass of water that was sitting on a bed-stand. She froze at the sudden feel of liquid rushing out from between her legs. Either she had recently lost control of her bladder, or... She tore the blankets off, and saw that it was not urine.

"Itachi, get in here! I am going into labor!"

**AN: I am so evil! I left a cliffhanger for you guys! **

**I am sorry, because my updating of this fic has been slow. Writer's block is the devil's best friend, I swear. Updating is difficult for me, because my brother moved back in, and he is a facebook freak. He likes to hog the computer more than **_**I **_**do, and that takes a lot. Please do not give up on this fic, I promise I will continue updating! A review would be nice too... ^^**


	16. Chapter 16

Itachi froze at the sound of his lover's voice. Instinctively, he reacted**, **flickering into their main chamber with non-perceivable speed. Sakura had already tossed off the blankets he had covered her with, and she was struggling to sit herself up. His mind was drawing up a blank, and all he could think was that he was finally going to be a father. His eyes wide and mystified, Itachi stared down at her.

Realization struck. Sakura was in pain. He then moved to help her, putting pillows behind her back for support. She stilled suddenly, then clutched her abdomen, gasping in her discomfort. He was not sure what she needed, besides a change in clothes. The only thing he knew was she was suffering from contractions, and there was nothing he could do about that. She was panting softly when it passed, then a small smile curved on her lips.

He returned it with a crooked one of his own, then carefully stripped her, putting her in a plain, white yukata. The smile spread, then a quiet giggle escaped her. "Itachi, do you think you can do something for me?" She asked slowly, her fingers spreading across her stomach. He nodded silently, anxious for his lover.

"I need you to boil some water and get some clean towels. If you could get Karin for me too, she would be helpful." Sakura rasped, another contraction starting before she was ready for it. He nodded his head, giving her hand a soft squeeze.

"I will be back in ten minutes, can you handle being alone for a little while?"

She nodded, squeezing his hand back, then watching as he disappeared out the room. He gave her one last look, concern clear on his face, then closed the shoji screen and dashed down the hall to complete his tasks.

0000

Orochimaru knew that Itachi was suspicious of him, but there was nothing the cautious Uchiha could do once he left his little lover alone to get Karin, and whatever else was necessary for childbirth. Those short minutes he had been given was all he was going to need to reenter the world of the living, with the unwilling assistance of Sakura and her unborn child.

He had only known that she was going into labor the moment a flustered Itachi had pounded on Karin's door, then ordered her to go to Sakura's side. It had been his signal to move out, because his own quarters were just opposite of Karin's, and it was pathetically easy for him to incapacitate the kunoichi. As soon as he was certain Itachi was out of range again, Orochimaru emerged from his room, and silently went to Karin's.

The redhead kunoichi had her back turned from the door, and had not heard him open it. She had not suspected that anything was out of place, at least not until it was too late. Orochimaru quickly drew a kunai, then held it to her unprotected and vulnerable throat. She froze in fear, then slowly turned her head to see who had crept up to her. Karin gasped when seeing her old master.

"Orochimaru-sama!"

She instantly knew what the snake was after. She called for strength she did not possess to stop him from getting to Sakura. Karin could do little more than glare at him, and curse his existence, which did little to help her friend. She had no idea what exactly Orochimaru had planned up his sleeve, but it would be considerably unpleasant, no matter what it was.

Karin could do nothing but hope Sakura would forgive her as Orochimaru tied her up with thick ropes. The man cackled cruelly at her, as if to say that she never had a chance against him, even though she desired to defeat him to protect her friend. The girl was weak, in his point of view, and she would likely never see Sakura again. If he had to, Orochimaru would use her life-force with her child's.

He continued to laugh to himself as he walked down the hall, thinking Itachi to be the most foolish man in existence for leaving his dearest Sakura alone at such a vital moment. Itachi had known he was planning something, yet he had left her so quickly. It was his own fault then, when he discovered what happened to her. Orochimaru laughed all the way to the chambers Sakura and Itachi shared, only once reaching his destination did he sober considerably.

When the shoji screen slid open again, Sakura had been a little surprised that Itachi had returned so soon. She then guessed he must have sent Karin immediately, and so turned her head to greet her friend, only to find it was neither Karin or Itachi, but Orochimaru.

She had spent around a year in the afterlife, and Orochimaru had been the one member of purgatory she had managed to completely avoid. He had been the one to take Sasuke to sound, then corrupt him until he was nearly unrecognizable. Sasuke had changed so much since spending those three years outside Konoha, and it was because Orochimaru had taken him out, then showed him hell. Sakura wanted him out of the room, and fast.

A sickening smile spread on the snake's face as he stepped into the threshold. Sakura shuddered apprehensively at the terrifying expression on his face, bringing her hands protectively up to her abdomen. Something must have been terribly wrong, and she did not like it one bit. A frown grew on her face, in contrast to his grin.

"Now, now Sakura. You have nothing to fear from me, though I suppose your unborn child does." He snickered, closing the door behind him. Sakura had been so tempted to scream for Itachi, for any sort of help, because she knew that moment that she was in danger, and more importantly, her child was. Before she could even open her mouth though, Orochimaru moved his hand to cover it. Her eyes widened in shock, as she wondered how he had moved so quickly.

"Since I am such a kind person, I will tell you what is going to happen, because there is no way you or your Itachi can ever prevent it now."

Sakura glared up at him, struggling to free her mouth, and call Itachi. Orochimaru would not have any of that, and he was stronger than her by far, especially with the condition she was in. Sakura felt utterly defenseless, and knew there was nothing she could possibly do. The thought caused tears to form in her green eyes.

"Ever since Itachi took notice of you, I knew you would bear his child. I was the one that forced Karin to back off, because my plan would not be possible unless a woman went into child labor." Orochimaru started, ignoring the tears falling from her eyes.

"When a child is born in this world, it brings a new life-force in, which I have learned to use for my benefit. The new life-force is stronger than anyone else's, and can be honed to return to the world of the living. It is a forbidden jutsu, naturally, and has only been used a few times successfully, but the chances come around rarely.

"Unfortunately, there is a price for using this jutsu. I had wanted to keep the child's Sharingan as well, but those eyes are not worth never living again."

Sakura knew then why she had a perfectly good reason to be fearful. Orochimaru was going to kill her child to return to the living world. Frantically she thrashed about, trying to free herself, but sadly failing. He laughed at her attempts, not allowing her even to think she had a chance. Very much against her will, he tore her yukata open, showing the bare skin of her stomach, and freeing her unbound breasts.

He bit his finger, drawing blood, then wrote kanji with the crimson liquid across her stomach, incanting what sounded like gibberish to her ears. He pulled a scroll, continuing to recite the spell under his breath.

Itachi was not certain why, but as he waited for the water to boil, he felt like something was amiss. He dismissed it at first, pardoning it as anxiety at becoming a father. Then, it was as if he could sense that Sakura was terrified, and he was not sure how or why. He wondered if something had gone wrong with their child, and stopped pacing in the kitchen. He dashed straight to where she was.

When he got to the room, he knew he was too late. Orochimaru stood over her, his disgusting hand covering her bare stomach. Sakura's eyes flashed to his, filled with more fear than he had ever seen in them, as if she was a trapped and hunted animal, stuck in a corner. Blood covered her, though it did not appear to be hers, and silent tears covered her frightened face.

Itachi stepped quickly forward, with every intention in brutally killing Orochimaru, however useless it may have been. The snake's yellow eyes thinned dangerously as a dark, deranged smile spread on his face. "You are too late, Uchiha. Good-bye." He hissed.

Itachi was not certain what exactly was happening, but a strange, unfamiliar sensation spread through his entire body. Confused, he looked at Sakura and Orochimaru, realizing they were evaporating, as if from thin air. It startled him, and he saw the same shock on Sakura's face. He looked down at his hands, and for the first time in a long while, he was _scared_. Itachi could see through his own hands, as if he were a hologram.

When he looked up at Sakura again, she was completely transparent. A moment later, he could not see her face again. Then he could see nothing at all, but a bright, shining light.

Orochimaru was right, he had been too late, and for all he knew, he would never see his beloved Sakura ever again. He was tempted to cry, and he probably would have, if it were not for the fact that he felt as if he were completely disconnected from anything, like gravity did not apply to him. Was he going to wander in this empty, bright space for the rest of eternity, all alone?

Seconds later, there was nothing at all.

0000

It was a sudden shock when Uchiha Itachi came to. There had been a deep, never ending _nothing_, then suddenly, there had been existence. He could see an orange-reddish light through his eyelids, though could hardly summon the strength to lift them. For the first time in a year and a half, he felt grass ticking his skin, and smelled rich scents of earth and vegetation. Wind blew over his face, and he almost forgot about the troubles he had to deal with.

Almost.

Sakura's fearful expression flew through his mind, and he abruptly shot his eyes open, and sat up before his body was ready for it. It was sunset, interestingly enough, while it had only just been sunrise. He looked around him, surrounded by the familiar forests of Konoha, and then hundreds of gravestones.

_Uchiha Itachi_

_Loyal Shinobi of Konohagakure_

_Older Brother_

He had been buried in Konoha, he realized with surprise. Somehow though, he was not underground. He was alive. Looking around his gravestone, he saw the familiar names of his family, and he felt strange, seeing his own names next to them, when he had done nothing to deserve it. He should have been left to rot like a criminal in the Uchiha hideout, where Sasuke had killed him. He had betrayed his family, yet Konoha had been kind enough to let him rest with the people he loved.

He shook his head. He loved Sakura now, and if he was there, then surely she was too. He expanded his senses, searching for her warm, comforting chakra. It was faint, though Itachi could tell she was not far from where he was, and that worried him.

He got to his feet, perhaps too quickly than he should have, because he felt his head rush, and his stomach flip. Itachi ignored it though, and began to run to where he knew Sakura was. He masked his chakra signature, not ready to deal with other shinobi until he was certain Sakura was safe.

She was keeled over in the fetal position under a tree by her own gravestone, crying softly to herself. He crouched down next to her shaking form, wrapping two strong arms around her. She spun her head around nearly too quickly, then relaxed slightly at seeing it was him. Something was terribly wrong, he knew it. He immediately knew what it was, and dread spread, his heart dropping down into his stomach. It was their child; it had to be.

Sakura did not have to say anything, because he wordlessly slipped his arms under her, then scooped her up, disappearing from the cemetery. Itachi was not so presumptuous as to think he could fix this on his own. It was impossible, and he needed help. As foolish as it seemed, there was only one place he could think of going. The only thing he hoped was that they had not changed the location of the hospital since last time he had visited.

In anyone had noticed him on his way, or recognized him at least, they had not told the authorities. Thankfully, the location of Konoha's hospital had not changed since the last time he had been there, as a thirteen year old ANBU captain. It was exactly as he remembered it, a comforting fact, though Sakura's safety was on his mind more than anything.

The woman who greeted them upon entrance stood there in shock. He read her name-tag on her uniform, seeing it was _Shizune_. He had never met the woman, but he knew she was an apprentice to the Hokage. She would, naturally, recognize both Sakura and himself, and know they were supposed to be dead. He had no choice though, this Shizune was going to have to help them, whether she alerted the Hokage or not. Sakura's well being was the priority.

"Sakura-chan..." Shizune breathed, her eyes wide. It had to be some sort of illusion. For Uchiha Itachi to be there though, did not make sense if it was a daydream. The pink haired girl, who she had grown to love like a little sister was curled up in the Uchiha's chest, as if she were in pain. Then, she noticed the bulge of Sakura's abdomen.

"Shizune-san, I know you likely believe this is some unusual illusion, but I promise this is very real. I have no time to explain in detail, but we are alive, and the child," Itachi paused to regain control over his roaring emotions. "Something interrupted the labor; our son...and this is the only place we could go." He could not find the words to speak, but the medic seemed to make sense of what he had awkwardly said.

She was shocked by how much emotion the man was showing, how much concern, and _fear_. If she did not know any better, she would have said he loved her. It did not matter though, because Sakura's condition was vital, and it was clear she was not in a good stage. She had no idea how Sakura was alive, and _carrying Uchiha Itachi's child,_ but there was only thing she needed to do. Make sure she did not die again.

Her expression steeling, Shizune nodded her head, then led Itachi down the hall to the birthing ward. She had no choice but to believe him, because before she was a shinobi, Shizune was a medic. She lived to heal others, and she had been given the chance to see her little sister again. She would not pass up such a wonderful opportunity.

Sakura was set up in the emergency birthing room, and Shizune collected nurses while she went, sending a chunin to fetch Tsunade, telling him it was an extremely important. The room was sterilized, and no one who was not as well, could not be permitted entrance. Itachi wanted to stay with her, but with her state, it went against hospital regulation.

He frantically paced the hall by her room, a nervous nurse standing with him, just to be sure he did not do something untoward. Itachi turned to the young woman with uncertainty.

"Mai-san, please, I must do something, or I will surely go mad." He pleaded, all of his calmness tossed out the window long before. The nurse bit her lip, hesitantly meeting his gaze. Mai knew Sakura from a long time ago, and held respect for her superior. She also knew what Sakura would want, as soon as she gave birth.

She let out a sigh. "If you want to help Haruno-san, then you could go get her two best friends, Uzumaki Naruto and Yamanaka Ino." Mai told him. His eyebrows knitted together, but he nodded his head, knowing that their presences would put Sakura at ease, if by a little. He hated to leave Sakura, but it was necessary.

He hopped through an open window, searching for the chakra signature of Uzumaki Naruto first. He did not know who Yamanaka Ino was, but if he found Naruto, he was certain the blond would help him find her.

Naruto was sitting at Ichiraku's ramen stand, and Itachi was surprised to find another familiar person with him. His younger brother. It should not have been too startling, if he was alive, and Sakura was alive. He could bring Sasuke along as well, not for Sakura's sake, but for his own sanity. Itachi quickly stepped into the roadside shop.

Before Itachi could even demand Naruto to come to the hospital, Sasuke interrupted. "Aniki? What are you doing here too? Where is Sakura? I thought she would be with you."

"She went into labor. Sakura is at the hospital. I need to get him, and some girl named 'Yamanaka Ino.'"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "She went into labor already? It is a week early! How the hell did we even get back here?" He asked loudly.

Naruto looked at Itachi, a small frown forming on his face. "By labor, do you mean childbirth?" He asked slowly. Itachi's expression tightened; he did not feel comfortable talking about it just yet. He nodded his head carefully.

"And when were you going to tell you got Saku-chan pregnant, Teme!" Naruto shouted, turning to Sasuke. Itachi let out a huff of air. This was not going as well as he had hoped.

Sasuke smirked. "I am not the one who got Sakura pregnant, Dobe."

"I did, and she is in danger. The only reason I am not with her as we speak is because she would want you there, as well as this Ino Yamanaka girl."

"You got-

"Yes, and what do you not understand about 'danger?' Either you come with me, or I am leaving you both." Itachi said with irritation, stepping away. Both Sasuke and Naruto followed behind him wordlessly.

"I know where Ino lives, aniki. I will get her." Sasuke murmured, evaporating out in a poof of smoke. "Thank you, otouto," he replied, though Sasuke was not there to hear him.

Upon his return, Itachi could hear Sakura screaming in pain. He went back to his nervous habit of pacing the hall, while Naruto sat in a chair, tapping his foot on the floor. Sasuke came minutes later, leading a platinum blond kunoichi behind him. The kunoichi had a determined look in her eye, and was wearing a hospital uniform.

Ino gave Itachi an apprehensive glance, before walking past him wordlessly, entering Sakura's room, and closing the door again. Itachi went back to pacing the hall, and Sasuke sat next to Naruto, twiddling his thumbs and glaring at the tiled floor. The girl screaming in the other room was their teammate, and they had spent many years protecting her. It was hard to listen, knowing they could do nothing.

It could have been hours, or even days from what Itachi could tell, but finally, her tortured cries ceased.

There was no wailing of a newborn, and the empty silence caused for Itachi to still. He did not care, he was going in there. No one tried to stop him when Itachi flew the door open. There was Sakura's soft, miserable sobs, but besides that, he could hear nothing. Cradled in her sweaty arms was a motionless baby boy, still covered with blood.

Sakura disregarded her tears, and kissed the forehead of their son. Her white yukata and face was covered with blood when she looked up at him mournfully. "Itachi, please forgive me, he..." She could not even finish her statement, and choked on her words. He hushed her sadly, moving past the room of helpless nurses to scoop her into his arms.

He was not used to crying, and right away, he did not like the sensation of it. His eyes stung from his salty tears. This was nothing like the night he had massacred his family; he was tempted to admit it was much worse.

Uchiha Kazuki, his son, was a stillborn.

The blood that had been covering Sakura and his son smeared over him, and the overwhelming pain that kept tightening in his chest made him choke on air. He heard a voice sobbing alongside Sakura's, and a moment later, he realized that voice was his. It was strange, that gulping, suffocating sensation of crying. It had been years since he had last done it, and he had forgotten how miserable it felt.

He was too weak to care when the various nurses pulled him apart from Sakura, then took his dead son from her arms. The painful need to gulp for air was gone, but tears still burned down his cheeks, and he was past the point of caring what any of the medics and nurses thought of him. After taking Kazuki, everyone in the room left.

They seemed to understand their need to grieve in privacy. The sorrow passed, and Itachi was consumed with fury. He knew who had caused for his son to die such an unnecessary death. If he was back in the world of living, as well as Sasuke and Sakura, then surely the monster who had done this was too.

A wave of determination washed over him. He was going to kill Orochimaru in the most wanton way his passive mind could think of. That snake was going to get what he deserved, for taking away the only thing he and Sakura had ever created together. He had been right about one thing, though. Itachi had been too late, and if he had never left her side, Sakura would have given birth to a beautiful, healthy boy.

Sakura fell into blissful unconsciousness, sleeping on a bed with new sheets. Itachi held her as she slept peacefully, exhausted from the entire ordeal. He would slept alongside her, but his mind was too full of killing Orochimaru to ever rest. He was offered food, water, even sake, but he refused them all, wanting no more then watch Sakura's serene face.

He was afraid she would never forgive him for this, because it was his fault Orochimaru had managed to get to her. It was his duty, as the father of her child, to protect her from any danger, and he had failed. He had failed Sakura, and he had failed his son. Itachi knew he could never make up for what he had done to her, because she would be scarred for the remainder of her life.

Would she ever want to try to have another child with him? As unplanned as her pregnancy had been, he had wanted their son. His hold around her tightened slightly, as he breathed in the smell of blood and sweat in her hair. Yes, he very much wanted for her to conceive with him again, but it was not something he would ever force upon her. Itachi _wanted_ her to want to bear his children.

This day should have been a happy one, a day of miracles. It was not though, and as he breathed in her scent, a rueful sorrow surged through him again. He was going to remember this day for the rest of his life, but not for the reason he was supposed to. All he could think was that Orochimaru was going down, as soon as Sakura was well again.

**AN: Yes, I am sorry. Most of you are going to be very angry with me for this, but it had been my plan since the beginning. Orochimaru is a bastard, and he had been planning to use their child before Sakura even got pregnant, if you recall. It was a quick update though, right? (avoids brick thrown at head) **


	17. Chapter 17

Itachi was so ashamed of himself. It was ultimately his fault that their son had died an unnecessary and premature death, but Sakura could do nothing but blame herself. He was the one who had disappeared for those short, ten minutes, and he was the one who had not been certain that Karin had showed up. Itachi was slightly irked by the fact the redhead kunoichi did not immediately gone to Sakura's side, but he had a good idea why she had not.

After the chaos of that day, he had gotten the chance to think it over. Orochimaru must have heard him talking to Karin, then intercepted her. Orochimaru was the one behind the entire scheme. It was undoubtedly because that snake needed the life force of a newborn that he had taped him in the shower and shared the evidence with Karin. It disgusted him, but clearly, Orochimaru had intended for _Karin _to originally bear his child.

He shuddered to himself at the thought of making love to Karin as he had to Sakura. It was impossible, he quickly decided.

Itachi let out a quiet sigh through his nose, then sat next to Sakura. She had been crying a lot, and he had no idea how to comfort her. She was curled up in her bed, sheets strewn about and her pillows scattered on the floor. Sakura refused to get up, to eat, to even drink water. Itachi understood that she was in pain, he felt just as miserable over the loss of their son, but he could see where she was heading. Sakura was walking down a self-destructive path, and he could not allow it.

If Sakura slowly killed herself, Itachi had no idea what he would do. He would have nothing to live for, nothing to make life worthwhile. With Sakura and his son dead, Itachi had no doubt he would quickly follow them, even if it meant killing himself.

He reached a cautious hand to stroke her back. She gave no visible reaction, but Itachi hoped that at least his presence would help somehow. It was better than to be alone, if nothing else. It would have been better if she blamed him for what happened, if Sakura was even angry with him. It was as if she could not think of anything wrong he had done, though he needed more than the fingers on his hands to count his mistakes. She deserved so much more than him, than this pain she was suffering. Yet, she had chosen him, knowing what he was, what he had done. Now he had failed her, and everything they had ever hoped for was gone.

A clear-thinking shinobi would have pointed out the positive, that at least they were alive again. Even then though, Itachi failed to see how that was so wonderful. They were in Konoha, safe, and sound and _together_, but nothing was right. He would rather have been dead and with a son than alive and without one. Their child should have been a miracle, but with how everything was falling apart, he knew that even miracles never existed. That child had been a curse, because it had been his child.

He shook his head, wanting to rid himself of such morbid thoughts. Itachi suddenly remembered the one conversation he had with Tsunade since his return. She had welcomed him and Sakura with open arms, glad to have such able shinobi back on board, but for him, she had a sort of condition. Not that he needed to be ordered to do so, Tsunade believed that the people in Konoha would be more comfortable with him in the village if he had killed an enemy and brought their head back on a stake.

So, as his first unofficial mission back as a loyal shinobi, he was going to hunt down and assassinate Orochimaru. Apparently, he had no time limit, as he was not yet reinstated, and she wanted him to head out as soon as he deemed it best. Itachi did not want to leave Sakura so broken, but time was passing, and if he waited much longer, it would be difficult to track down his target. It had been nearly three weeks as it was.

Itachi leaned down to kiss the soft, bare skin of her shoulder, moving her pink hair out of the way to do so. He needed to bring up his leaving sooner rather than later, and he had been putting it off for too long as it was. Itachi felt like he was abandoning her, but it was necessary that he hunt down Orochimaru. Surely she would understand that much.

"Koishii, we need to talk." He whispered. Her quiet sobs ceased, and she slowly sat up. Through her crying, they had hardly spoken for three long weeks, and his voice was strangely foreign to her. She was beginning to wish he had spoken more during that time, even if she had asked that he let her pass the pain in silence. He had such a calm, smooth voice, and it would have helped her relax, just to hear him speak.

She knew what he was going to say before he said it. He had to get Orochimaru, and though he would never tell her this, she was holding him back. Guilt surged through her, and she leaned her cool, clammy forehead against his. "I know that you have to hunt that bastard down, and that it is my fault you have not left yet." She murmured, her eyes looking off to the side in shame.

Itachi sighed, then nuzzled her neck softly. "I would never blame you for that, Koishii. I will not leave until I am certain you will be fine without me."

She gulped, then knew she was being unfair. She wanted for him to stay by her side forever, when he really needed to do this. A small smile formed on her lips. She would have to let him go; it would not be that long, would it? "No, you would not, but I do. It is my fault. I will let you go, so tomorrow, leave and kill Orochimaru. It is your job to kill him. Before that though, do something for me, Itachi."

He quirked a brow, but then nodded his head. "Whatever you want, Koishii." He replied gently. A smirk crossed her face. She was up to something, he knew, but did not question it. He felt himself being pushed onto his back into the bed sheets, and stared up at her form in shock. She straddled his hips playfully, twisting her body tauntingly.

"I want you to make sweet, beautiful love to me, Itachi." She said, nimble fingers moving down his chest and then under his shirt. He watched, utterly stunned, as she pulled the unwanted material from his body. He smirked back at her. Well, if that was what she wanted, then he would not deny her. Itachi watched smugly as she kept swerving her hips and tugged her own tank top over her head. She reached behind with skill, unclasping her bra and letting it fall away, freeing her breasts.

"Your wish is my command." He murmured, flipping her over onto the bed, then hovering over her smaller form. He would giver a night she would not soon forget, of that he was certain. If this was the last thing he could do before leaving, then he would deliver.

...

Itachi was first woken by the soft rays of sunshine, peeking through the thin curtains of Sakura's bedroom. They had been staying in her apartment, which conveniently enough for him, was close to the gates out the village. He slowly sat up, groaning to himself, and pushing his dark bangs out of his face. Not wanting to wake his sleeping lover, he silently slipped out from under the ruffled sheets.

Itachi dressed into a pair of simple shinobi pants and a shirt, then strapped on a spare kunai holster that had been sitting around. He had no money, and he had no intention in taking Sakura's, so instead of leaving the village straight away, he decided to see Tsunade. Besides, they still had the details of the mission to go over, and it could look bad if he went and disappeared.

Sadly kissing his naked lover on the cheek, Itachi covered Sakura with the sheets more fully, then closed the door to her bedroom quietly. She woke the moment that door shut, but she did not follow him. It was better that he left thinking she was asleep; goodbyes would be too painful to endure, and she was not sure what she could even say to him. He was right in leaving without waking her.

She had cried enough, and would not allow herself to continue on. She needed to be strong; Itachi would be back, and when he did return, they would have many chances at having children. As much as it hurt that their first child had not lived through birthing, Sakura knew it was not ending with that. After all, she had a very good reason for wanting Itachi to make love to her so desperately the night previous.

It had been wrong of her, but when Itachi had hesitated the night before, Sakura had told him that she was a medic, and knew how to protect herself with a medical ninjutsu. This was not a lie, but she had never intended to use that jutsu. He had no idea that through their entire night of frivolous lovemaking, she had not used any contraception. If he had known what she wanted to happen, he surely would not have been willing to leave so easily.

So, she would not say goodbye to him. That did not mean that she would not see him off either. Crawling out of bed, and ignoring the surge of sudden pain between her legs, Sakura pulled on the closest thing. It did not matter that it did not match, because she had no intention in being seen by anyone.

She dashed off towards the cluster of trees near the walls of Konoha. Sure to not be seen, she hid in the branches, waiting for him to walk out. She felt like such a child, hiding in the trees, but it did not matter so much. It was easy to act like a child, not facing difficult tasks, and running from danger. Itachi was not particularly dangerous, at least not to her, but she was not ready to see him.

Itachi stood before Tsunade, who he noticed with grim humor was already sipping at a jug of sake. The task as Hokage was much more stressful than her successors had let on, it seemed. It must not have been an unusual occurrence, because her aid, Shizune, did not scold Tsunade. So, he ignored this and addressed the Hokage respectfully with a bow.

"Hokage-sama. It is time for me to commence the mission you assigned me." He said, keeping his head down. The woman sighed, and Itachi heard the subtle sound of her clay jug of sake being set down on the wooden desk. This was the teacher to Sakura, and so he knew Tsunade saw his lover almost as a daughter. She must have already known that Sakura would not be happy about his departure, but as Hokage, it was crucial that he hunt down Orochimaru.

The snake had terrorized Konoha for decades, and now that he was back from the grave, the village could easily be back in danger. While Sakura was like a daughter to her, as the Hokage, it was her duty to put the village before all else. "At ease, Uchiha-san." Tsunade muttered, pushing aside her sake to pull forward a file instead.

"I know you do not have any money, or any sort of supplies, so I had Shizune put together a pack for you. I want you to stay in contact with me. Send me some sort of information every two weeks or so. And I think Sakura would like to hear something from you as well."

Itachi stood straight again, and nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, Hokage-sama." He replied.

Tsunade huffed. "So, Uchiha, what is your plan? Surely you are not running into this without any sort of thought beforehand."

Itachi was quick to reply. "As you may have noticed, those of us that had been in purgatory all came back where we had been buried. I plan to start where Sasuke had first killed him, and track Orochimaru from there."

"Yes, I did notice that. That damned Danzo just showed up and demanded he get his office back, the bastard. If all the people to come back from the dead, he has to be the worst; him, and Orochimaru." She snorted, picking up her jug of sake again and swigging it in one smooth motion.

"What is he going to be after?" She continued in asking. If Orochimaru had put together such an elaborate scheme just to be brought back to life, then he had to have worthwhile reason. Itachi sighed, knowing only one good reason the snake could possibly have, from the conversations he had shared with Sasuke. Orochimaru had only one goal in life, it seemed.

"It is likely that, once he realizes it is _me_ hunting him down, Orochimaru will come for me. He still wants a pair of Sharingan for his own use. This will only make my job easier." Itachi replied. Tsunade grunted. If Orochimaru did not go after Itachi, then his return to Konoha would be unavoidable. Sasuke had a pair of perfectly good Sharingan, and he was staying in the village for a while.

"Very well, Uchiha. Go kill that damned bastard, then come back quickly. If you have not succeeded in as long as a year, return to Konoha, and then I am sending you back out with a team. I will not accept any failures." She said with strength and authority. Itachi bowed briefly again. It would not take nearly as long as Tsunade had given him, but he understood why she said it.

"I will not betray my village, Hokage-sama, and I will not return without Orochimaru's head." He replied stonily. A small smirk crossed her face. She scooted her chair back, then reached into a drawer. She tossed him something, which he effortlessly caught.

"Good then. Wear this."

Itachi looked down at a new hitai-ate, and smiled to himself. The barely perceivable smile left his expression as soon as it had come, and it was replaced with his usual, blank face. He tied it on, glaring with determination to complete his mission. "Thank you, Hokage-sama." He murmured, then disappeared in a flash, taking his pack when he went.

Suddenly, Sakura saw his form come into view. He had a small pack on his back, and though he had his bangs covering them for the most part, she could see a new hitai-ate on his forehead. She smiled for him, glad that he could have what he wanted. He never had wanted to be enemies with Konoha, but he had spent half of his life running from them, because they saw his as a betrayer. He was always loyal to them though, and now he had a way of showing it.

His hands were stuffed into his pockets, his glance downward. His posture reminded her of Sasuke, and of the missions they had taken together as genin, though she supposed Sasuke had gotten it from Itachi, not the other way around. Sasuke had followed his brother to the gate, and she could not hear what they were saying, but it looked tense.

Then, though he did not give any indication that he saw her, Itachi gave a small glance in her direction. Sasuke had not noticed it, or if he had, he had not thought much of it. It had been small, no more than a look from the corner of his eye, but for that split second, Sakura knew their eyes had met, and a small understanding had passed between them. He knew she was there, but he did not say a word, and she was fine with this.

So, with no further acknowledgement, he walked through those gates. Sakura smiled at his disappearing back, already anxious for his return. At least she would not be alone when he left. She had Sasuke, Ino and Naruto to keep her company, and perhaps Karin would eventually show up. When Sakura had first met her, it was almost as if Karin had been a replacement for Ino, but as she learned more about her, Sakura realized Karin was a complete other person. For almost a year, Karin had played the same part in her life as Ino had, but she was not the same person.

Sakura jumped in surprise when Sasuke suddenly appeared on branch next to her, almost falling from the tree. He caught her by her upper arm, then held her steady so she would not fall down to the ground, and gave her a stern look. She replied it with a sheepish glance of her own. For some reason, Sakura had the feeling she was going to get scolded by him.

"Why did you not say goodbye to Itachi? There was no reason for you not to, since you were just right here." He chided, giving her a small glare. Sakura rolled her eyes, then freed her arm from his grasp with a sigh. She saw no reason why she should have to explain herself to him, but decided to anyway.

"We made our goodbyes last night. He left me while I was still asleep. If he wanted to speak to me about it today, then he would have woken me up before leaving. Besides, he had a hard enough time leaving me as it was. If I had shown up, tears in my eyes and me clinging to him like a child, then it would make it only more difficult for him."

He looked at her, and knew what she said was right. Just by what Itachi had told him to do before leaving, he knew that Sakura being there would have made it harder on his brother. He wished he could be there to help his aniki, but this was something his brother had to do on his own. Sasuke had already made his peace with Orochimaru when he killed him. Now, Itachi had to do this for himself. Orochimaru had killed his child, and Itachi had every right to kill him again to avenge his son. It was not really in his place to help him.

The silence between them dragged on for a few moments, before Sakura awkwardly broke it. "So, Sasuke, what exactly was Itachi talking about with you just before he left?" She asked, fumbling with her fingers anxiously. He gave her a hard, thoughtful look, before sighing softly.

"You." He replied simply. Sakura rolled her eyes again. Obviously, she wanted to know more than that, but Sasuke had to be difficult it seemed. That was one thing about him that had never changed from his genin days, and she wished it _had_. Whenever she talked with him, it was like she was pulling teeth to get more than three words out of him. Back then, when she had been engrossed with everything _Sasuke_, she had envisioned him growing out of that, but it seems now that had been no more than a childish dream.

"Well, okay then, but what about me? That is not very specific, Sasuke." She said, crossing her arms. They both now sat comfortably in the branches, their feet dangling below them. Sasuke grunted, then after a good minute of thinking, decided to reply.

"Itachi wanted me to be sure you were...happy. He wants me to check in on you every once and a while." Sasuke finally said, sounding rather uncomfortable with the thought. Sakura laughed cheerfully, easily able to picture to blank, serious expression Itachi must have made when asking Sasuke to do this. It had probably been unnecessary for him to ask anyway, because Sakura was certain Sasuke would want to check in on her either way.

"He likes to worry a lot. Though after what just happened, I can hardly blame him. I was a complete mess." She let out a breath of air. Her memories of the past few weeks were very vague, as if nothing had happened during that time. She remembered holding her dead son, and being in the hospital with Itachi, but besides that, those three weeks were a complete blur.

Sasuke shook his head. "My brother was even more of a mess than you were. I had never seen him more out of it then that time. In the first few days, he was almost in his own world; he was really depressed, and he would not speak or eat at all. Then he must have figured that sulking was not going to help you at all, and he snapped out of it. When you kept on crying like that though, he was utterly lost. I have no idea what happened, but he has not looked composed until this morning." He told her in earnest.

Sakura was not sure what to be more shocked by, that Sasuke had said so much at once, or that Itachi had been in complete shambles alongside her. What had changed so much about yesterday that he appeared just as collected as ever this morning? The only thing she could think of was the wonderful hours of lovemaking they had spent throughout the night. What she was think was ridiculous. This was _Itachi_; surely sex did not change so much in him.

Apparently, it did. Well, when she thought about it, in those three weeks, they had not slept together at all. That was a long time to go without any sort of action, especially when comparing it to before. Still, it had to be more than just the sex. Yes, it might have played some part in it, but there was more. That night, she had talked to him about everything.

For the first time in a long while, they had opened up to one another, emotionally and physically. They had become a couple that shared everything with each other, and to go such a long time without that was harsh. Their communication with each other was the most crucial part of their relationship, and without it, there was nothing. It was their ability to share that made what they had so special, and for three weeks, there had been nothing.

"I told him it was my fault he had not hunted down Orochimaru yet." Sakura whispered more to herself than to Sasuke. That was what had changed. He had found a way to protect her, even from herself, and the things she said. He had been confident in leaving her only then, because he had been sure that she would be fine on her own.

"Sakura, Itachi would never think that. I am sure he-

She interrupted him. "I know he would never think it was my fault. But we talked, and after so long, I think he felt that I was back to my old self." Well, as much back to her old self as possible. After holding the child she had carried in her womb for nine months, only to find that he was dead, she would never be quite right again. She would heal though, even in his absence, and Itachi had seen that.

"My brother loves you very much." Sasuke whispered. Sakura turned to him in shock, surprised by what he was saying. While he had always known this, Sakura had never heard him admit it out loud. Sakura had always thought that he still felt something for her. Maybe he did, but it did not seem to matter so much anymore.

"Yes, I know that, Sasuke." She replied calmly. Silently, Sakura wondered if he would go any further than that.

"He loves you more than I ever could, and there is something I have wanted to tell you since the day I killed you." He continued. His discomfort was clear, and it appeared to be spreading. They had never really talked about this with each other because it was awkward. Sasuke, however, was determined to get it out, no matter how unpleasant. Far be it from her to stop it; she had always wanted to hear him say what he was going to.

"What is that?" She asked gently, hoping he had not broken from thinking too much. She had to hold in a snort from the thought, not wanting to insult him.

"I am sorry for what I did. For ignoring you, for leaving you, and then for killing you. You deserve someone like Itachi, just as much as he deserves someone like you. I hope that you two will be happy together, and that you can forgive me for my stupidity." He said, his eyes kept downcast. Sakura could not believe it, but Sasuke was really afraid of what she would say. It was humorous to think he would be so concerned.

So, she decided to say nothing at all. Instead, Sakura wrapped two arms around him, pulling him into a friendly hug. At first, he froze in shock, but when realizing that it was perfectly fine to return the gesture, Sasuke cautiously put his arms around her too. She was not angry with him, and had forgiven him a long time ago, and he could tell. Relief surged through him, and he let out a small sigh.

"Sasuke, someday, I know you will find someone that makes you happy. She just is not me. For all we know, she is hiding right beneath that nose of yours." Sakura finally told him, reaching up to give him a chaste kiss to the cheek. He blushed slightly, then lifted a hand to touch the spot. "Until then, though, try not to hide so much in a corner. You will never find _'the one'_ if you do not go out there and get her." She continued with a reprimanding tone of voice.

Sasuke grimaced. "All Itachi ever did was hide in a corner, and he got you. Why would it not work for me too?"

Sakura laughed, hopping down from the tree. She looked up him with a teasing expression. "Your brother did _not _hide in a corner! Itachi started chasing after me before I even got over you!" She called, giggling to herself as she did so. "Take after Itachi and corner her until she has no other choice!" She advised, pivoting on her feet.

Sasuke shook his head in disbelief. Itachi had certainly gotten himself an interesting woman. He was beginning to wonder if his brother's method of picking up women was completely sane. However, if it worked for someone as reclusive as Itachi, then it could never fail with someone like him. Sasuke just had to figure out who she was, then there would be no escape.

With pink hair sticking up in every direction and her clothes mix-matched, Sakura walked down to the Hokage tower. It was time she paid her shishou a little visit, because she wanted her old job back. She roughly knew that Tsunade and Shizune were alive, because they had both been there when she was in labor. This would be the first time she had seen them since then though, and even on that night, Sakura had not said a word to either women. Tsunade would undoubtedly want to know every last detail about where she had been, and what had happened between her and Itachi. She was something like a mother figure, after all.

Tsunade had told her and Shizune once that she trusted them more than anyone else in the entire village. It was natural that because she had so much trust in her, she would have the same amount of trust in Tsunade. While she really did not want to go into detail about everything that happened between her and Itachi, it would be good to have her teacher back in her life again.

**AN: There will be only one or two more chapters left to this fic! *sad face* I may or may not write an epilogue. I would like to thank everyone who has kept reading this fic through the end, you guys are the best!**


	18. Chapter 18

Six long months. It had been six long months since he had last seen his beloved Sakura. Finally though, he could return home, his vendetta with Orochimaru settled, after so much time spent hunting him down. It had really been pathetic, how easily the snake had gone down after Itachi had caught up to him. His minions had all run off after his dying the first time, and no one had been there to protect him. In the last few moments of his sad existence, Orochimaru had groveled at his feet, begging for his life. Itachi had shown him no mercy, not after what he had done.

Itachi had known that Orochimaru had hideouts throughout the shinobi world, but it had amazed him how many there really were. Orochimaru had moved from his hiding spots every week, and had never returned to one he had been before, through the entire time Itachi had been hunting him. In the end though, Orochimaru had been cornered like the pitiful, scared animal he truly was. However resourceful Orochimaru may have been, there had been no one there to fend him off besides his medic, Kabuto.

Itachi had not spared Orochimaru's follower a second thought, and killed Kabuto the moment he stepped between him and his objective. He had found the sniveling snake in the crack-headed lab below ground, and Itachi had used his surroundings to his advantage. Though he needed no assistance in battle, the supplies around him were useful to preserve the evidence of his kill.

After decapitating Orochimaru, he had found a large enough jar to store his head in, then filled the extra space with chemicals to preserve the flesh and prevent putrefaction. He had a week of travel to Konoha, and the smells of rotting tissues was not something he wanted to endure. The returning trip home was much shorter than he would have thought. Before he knew it, the sight of Konohagakure's great walls came into view from the distance.

He stepped through the entrance to be greeted by Kotetsu and Izumo, who were already expecting his return. Itachi had known the infamous duo of flirts since his days at the academy, and was only slightly surprised by their jovial welcoming. All the same, he walked to the booth they sat under, and signed in. They snickered to each other, almost ignoring him.

"_Sakura-san certainly will be happy now that-_

_-I suppose the whole family is back together-_

"_Sasuke-san will certainly surprise him with that-_

"_Yeah, but we should not say anything. I would hate to ruin such a wonderful surprise."_

Itachi's eyebrows knit together in frustration, not pleased that they were talking about him right to his face, but acting as if he were not there. He was already used to their antics however, and decided it were best to simply disregard whatever they said. It was likely they were trying to create some sort of reaction out of him, and he would not want to give them what they wanted.

Kotetsu turned back to him a moment later, pretending he had not just shared that whispered conversation with Izumo, and gave him a toothy grin. "Tsunade-sama wants you to see her the second you check in. You should go do that before anything else." He snickered to him, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. Itachi could only assume he was somehow alluding to Sakura with that impish look in his dark eyes.

"Yes, I intend to. I have something to drop off." Itachi quietly intoned. Seeing their teasing would get them nowhere, Izumo waved him off, letting Itachi continue to the Hokage tower for a mission debrief. Quirking an eyebrow at the duo, Itachi turned and left, trying to shake his head free of their hinting. For all he knew, whatever they were whispering about were rumors to grate on his nerves. After six months of being on the road, he wanted to settle down and relax before going on a mission again.

Just as Itachi walked out of sight, Izumo headed straight to the research and development labs in Konoha's lab, where he knew Sakura could be found.

With a subtle smirk on his face, Itachi wordlessly set the jar with Orochimaru's preserved head on Tsunade's desk. She cringed in disgust, then downed a shot of sake. "The mission was an overall success." He stated smartly. Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Way to point out the obvious, Uchiha. What the hell is with this jar? You want me to put it up on a shelf like a damned trophy?" She asked sarcastically, swirling about another cup of sake, before downing that one too. Itachi was beginning to wonder if her habit of drinking all day was healthy for her liver. For a medic, it seemed to be rather thick. Still, it was not really any of his problem.

His smirk widened. "Well, if you do not want it, I will gladly keep it." Itachi replied in a serious tone. Tsunade could not be sure if he was joking or not, and frowned slightly. Sakura had never mentioned the Uchiha to have any sort of sense in humor.

"I will have to warn Sakura then, when she starts to redecorate. I doubt she would appreciate jars of floating, decapitated heads in the living room." Tsunade muttered, already imagining Sakura's reaction to seeing Orochimaru's dead expression, plopped right down on her coffee table. There would have been a riot in Konoha, that much she was certain of.

Itachi's face softened. "How is she?" He asked affectionately. Tsunade snorted quietly at the quick change in his character. Sometimes, she had a hard time figuring out how Sakura could have ever fallen in love with the notorious Uchiha Itachi, how she would ever want to carry his children, but now it made sense. Now she had to wonder what about her young apprentice had made him fall for her.

"She is good. I have her working at the hospital again, and she likes it." She replied. He nodded his head thoughtfully, his mind, she undoubtedly knew, full of only one person. Surely the man must have been desperate to see his lover again. She certainly had been anxious for his return since the day he left, which was why Tsunade had set her up in the research department. It would keep her busy for a while.

She cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the musing Uchiha back to her. "Sakura has her job back. I am prepared to offer yours back as well, though I would prefer to have the next Hokage in the room to hear it as well." She said rather loudly. As if on cue, Uzumaki Naruto stepped into the room through a window. He was dressed in a jonin uniform, and smiling sheepishly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"You too, Uchiha Sasuke." Tsunade grumbled. Like Naruto had been, Sasuke was dressed in jonin attire, a new hitai-ate on his forehead. His arms were crossed, and he huffed annoyingly as he gracefully slipped through the window after his best friend. Itachi gave his a stern look that said he should have known better than to listen in on a confidential meeting.

"Now that my idiotic successor is her, I can continue." Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Uchiha Itachi, I want you to head the ANBU branch, directly under me, and eventually, Naruto. My captains will take orders straight from you. I have needed to replace the head for a while now; the bastard was a former root and supporter of Danzo."

Itachi easily concealed his surprise. He had assumed that he would be reinstated as ANBU captain, but to be given a higher rank was shocking. Not that he had any objections to the job. He wanted to do anything that would assist the village, and if this was what the Hokage wanted from him, he would not reject the position. He nodded his head slowly, until remembering something.

"What of the Konoha Police Force?"

Sasuke snorted at his question, and when Itachi turned to see what the matter was, he was smiling smugly. "Your brother has already filled in that position. He was rather determined to have it, so I hope you do not mind."

This made sense. The Uchiha had once been in charge of the shinobi police in Konoha, and Sasuke wanted to clear their name.

"Very well then, I accept." Itachi replied calmly.

...

Sakura kept looking into her microscope, studying the cancerous cells, and trying to ignore the stupid man who was standing behind her and breathing down her neck. He chuckled, knowing that he was irritating her. Kotetsu just loved annoying Sakura whenever he was given the chance.

"Hokage-sama is waiting for you." He finally said.

Sakura growled under her breath. Just what she needed. Her hands clenched together and she stomped away from her lab station.

Her voice could be heard from down the hall as she marched straight to Tsunade's office. "If you really want me to find an easier way to preform brain surgery for cancer, then you need to give me more time in the lab! I only get five and a half hours a day in there, and if you really want me to find a solution," Sakura slammed open the door violently, "then you cannot be interrupting me so-

She froze, staring in shock at Itachi's familiar form. His head spun around to look at her, and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. Sakura saw his jaw drop when he saw her.

"Itachi."

"Sakura, you...you...are?"

A small smile formed on her lips, anger at being pulled from her lab quickly forgotten. "Yes, I am." She whispered, a delicate hand smoothing over her rounded abdomen. Flashbacks of the last night he spent with Sakura ran through his head. He had completely devoured her that night, consuming her entirely. She had clearly milked him for what he was worth.

"You said that you knew how to prevent this from happening with medical ninjutsu." He breathed. She nodded her head, her smile growing.

"Yes, I can. I did not say that I was going to use that jutsu, now did I?" She replied. Itachi let out a long, deep breath of air. He had not been prepared for this at all, and was not sure what to even say. So he stared. Seeing he was not going to do anything but stand there in shock, Sakura slowly walked up to him. He stood rigidly, and she took his hand to carefully press it to her stomach.

"I am sorry I never told you what I was hoping for that night, but if you knew, I was afraid you would not go and do what you needed to. I understand if you are angry at me for doing this behind your back, but I was hoping to surprise you when you got back." She said softly, looking up into his dark, charcoal eyes. Itachi sighed, wrapping two secure arms around her.

"I am not angry, Koishii, I could never be angry with you."

She giggled as he reached down to kiss each of her cheeks. Suddenly, the room's atmosphere was filled with a thick, smothering aura. Tsunade cleared her throat, dispelling the awkwardness that had filled her office. Itachi and Sakura hesitantly stepped away from each other. A small brush tinted at Sakura's cheeks, and Naruto tried not to gag at the sight of them. Sasuke did not seem to mind so much, and crossed his arms instead.

"I assume Kotetsu sent you here, Sakura?" Tsunade asked with a frown. Sakura nodded.

"I am going to give that ass a month worth of D-ranked missions." She muttered, then added, "Since you two are already here, I will discuss this further at another time. I already know you two will be too distracted to think properly."

They were quickly interrupted when the door opened, and a certain platinum blond in purple stepped in. "Sasuke, you retard! I told you to visit me as soon as you got back from your missions. I missed you, you know!" She whined, dashing up to him and then giving him a suggestive hug. Itachi watched this in bewilderment, wondering how long Sasuke had been with Sakura's friend, Yamanaka.

He did not need to be told they were together, because Itachi knew Sasuke would not tolerate a girl to hold him as she was if he was not with her. What amazed him most was how the girl had called Sasuke a 'retard,' and had not been given so much as a glare. It felt like quite a feat, from what he had seen so far.

"I missed you too, piggy." He said dryly.

"Shut it, Chicken-ass." She retorted.

Sakura laughed, telling Itachi that this sort of situation with them name calling was a common occurrence. They shared a short, chaste kiss, and shamelessly turned back to Tsunade. The Hokage was past caring, at this point. The only one who was at all bothered was Naruto. "Dammit! Why does it feel like I am the only one without any love life?" He asked rhetorically.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I told you to ask out Hinata-chan months ago, Naruto. Why not her?"

Naruto frowned, deep in thought. He doubted Hinata would ever want to go out with him. Her clan was full of stuck-up snobs, like Neji, and whenever he got near her, she acted like she wanted to be anywhere but near him. Naruto did not want to ask someone out only to get rejected. It was clear to him that she was uninterested, and he did not want to make her uncomfortable by asking something of her she did not want to give.

"Ask her out already, Naruto. I promise she will say yes." Ino said knowingly. Both Sakura and her were aware of how Naruto felt. He may have screamed obnoxious and seemed to lack self-doubt, he was not as confident as he looked. Ino and Sakura had been working for months for Hinata to manage the courage to speak with Naruto about her feelings, but they were both too shy. It was such a strange thought, that Naruto could be shy about _anything_. Hinata...was not so much of a surprise.

Itachi could see that so much had changed since he left six months previous. His brother had done as Itachi had requested to be sure that she was kept happy, he could tell that much, and he wondered what else had changed that he did not yet know about. He suddenly had the urge to go home. He wanted to be somewhere with Sakura alone, to recap on everything that had happened. They had so much to discuss.

He flashed a certain look at Tsunade, and she seemed to understand. It appeared that in the past few months, she had learned how the read 'Uchiha,' undoubtedly from Sasuke. A knowledgeable smirk lit her face, as if she knew something interesting, and he did not. He supposed this was very possible, after him being away for so long. She swigged another gulp of her sake.

"I want a written mission report by the end of the week, you got that Uchiha?" She ordered. Itachi nodded his head smartly, and with a smirk of his own, slipped two arms across Sakura's back and lifted her from the ground. She squealed in surprise, but when looking into his dark, smothering eyes, so filled with passion and longing, she was stunned into silence.

It had been so long since she had seen such a look in someone's eyes, so long since someone had held her like he was, and she had forgotten her own reactions to it. A blush burned on her cheeks as she watched a miniscule twitch in the corner of his thin lips tug his mouth upward in an awkward, lopsided grin. He blinked, sooty eyelashes softly caressing his cheek with the simple motion. She looked long and hard into those dark eyes of his, noticing how they seemed to have a different light in them from before.

He was so beautiful, and he was all hers. She returned his clumsy smile with one of her own; bright, and pearly and showing each of her teeth.

Almost forgetting everyone else in the room, he reached down to softly kiss her nose. Then, wordlessly, he turned and walked through the door, everyone else left to stare in shock at them. Sasuke may not have been so surprised by Itachi's blatant show of affection for Sakura, but no one else had ever thought the quiet, seemingly cold man to be capable of it. For the most part, they were relieved, because it meant he really was able to make Sakura happy, and that was what matter most.

Sakura curled up into his hard, toned chest, breathing in his familiar scents of burnt wood, rain water and something specifically _Itachi_. He was so warm, she seemed to soak that all in and never have enough of it. Sighing though, she opened her eyes. She had figured he would, but Itachi was taking her to the wrong place. If he thought the only surprise set up for him upon returning was her pregnancy, then he was sadly incorrect. Sakura had sold her apartment only a month after Itachi had left.

She cleared her throat. "Itachi, you are going the wrong way. I sold my apartment a while ago." Sakura stated. He paused where he was standing, looking down at her in bewilderment. They both ignored how civilians and shinobi alike were starting to stare at the strange occurrence of Itachi carrying Sakura.

"Then tell me where you have been staying." He replied softly. With a smirk on her face, she shook her head. Sakura was not sure what his reaction would be, but if she told him where she had set herself up, she had the feeling he would not want to go anywhere near the place. So, she would have to drag him there and have him see what she had put together before she said anything.

"Do not ruin my fun, Itachi. Put me down and I will lead the way." She said. He quirked a brow, not quite understanding her thought processes, but doing as she asked all the same. She giggled to herself, taking his hand, and turning them around to the opposite direction they had been heading. "Shut your eyes, Itachi." She added as an after thought. He would certainly be able to recognize where they were going by the familiar surroundings.

He obeyed her request grudgingly, carefully stepping behind her as she led down the familiar streets. He could smell the fried foods coming from the shops lining the pathways through Konoha, as well as the strong scent of tea. There was a constant bustle of the people trafficking through the area, though Sakura managed to be sure they never ran into anyone.

Itachi listened to the soft crunch of gravel below his sandals, trying to imagine where they were when it changed to smooth stone. Slowly, it grew more quiet, and he knew they were in a residential part. He could still hear the sounds of crowding civilians speaking in the market place they had just been in, but now there was hardly anything nearby besides the whispering of the wind blowing through the trees.

Almost abruptly, they stopped, and she squeezed his hand lightly. "You can look now." She murmured. Itachi could sense the small amount of nervousness in her tone, and was uncertain how to interpret it. He opened his eyes to see a door. It was not just any door, he knew though. He was standing in front of the house he had grown up in, years ago. Itachi stood rigid to the spot, watching as Sakura slipped off her shoes. She stepped into the house, then turned to look at him expectantly. He had no idea what to even say, because he was not sure how he felt about living in the place he had killed his own parents.

"Itachi, before you decide that this is a bad thing, I want you to see what I have done around here." She whispered, taking his hand. Absentmindedly, he slipped his feet out of his sandals, and almost timidly stepped onto the wooden flooring. It was clean and polished, and though he could not be certain yet, Itachi thought she may have gone so far as to replace the floors altogether.

He first stalked off into the kitchen, to find it as clean and orderly as his mother would have left it. There was a new table, he noted, and it was a little larger than the one that had been in there before, as if Sakura expected more than four people to be sitting at it. The window above the sink was open, streaming in the sun's light and heat. The room seemed so much more _warm _than he remembered.

Sakura stood in the archway into the kitchen, watching with a nervous smile as he processed it all. He turned to look at her, his face showing an expression she thought she would never see on him, confusion. Sakura was not sure what he had been expecting, but this certainly was not it. He turned again, this time heading out into the outside platform.

Just as he expected, there was the bamboo fountain, streaming water. The garden was well kept, with not a single stray leaf from the trees above on the ground. Flashbacks of his childhood when he used to sit outside on the platform, listening to the tranquil sounds of the fountain surged through his entire being. He used to love sitting out there, alone and utterly at peace, with a mug of tea and occasionally a plate of his mother's dango.

He walked along the platform, entering another room through its shoji sliding door. It used to be his father's office, of sorts, where he would have conducted business. Instead of his father's old belongs, however, he saw an easily recognizable shelf of books, which he was sure had once been in his bedroom. There was also a new desk, made of rich, mahogany wood, replacing the old one his father had used.

Itachi walked through the office to the hallway inside, Sakura following closely behind. Silently, he went up the flight of stairs to the second floor. He walked down to the end of the hall, then slid open the shoji door to his old room. It was nothing like how he remembered it. There was a small cradle, instead of the bed that had once been his, along with a changing table and rocking chair. The window was open, yellow curtains fluttering in the breeze. It felt so unbelievably _happy _in that room, compared to how it was when he left.

Itachi stepped up to the cradle, smiling softly when he saw what was sitting in it. There was a certain joke Shisui had once told him as a child, and seeing the stuffed animal he had once toddled around with brought back that memory. When he was five, Shisui had said to him that his mother threw a baby shower, and one of the gifts she had recieved was a stuffed weasel. Apparently, the pregnant Mikoto had loved the toy so much, she named her son after it.

Chuckling to himself, Itachi reached down to pick up the stuffed weasel. He had marched straight home in a huff after being told that, and demanded that his mother tell him if she had really named him after a toy. He recalled his mother laughing, and then she had stooped down to give him a hug. The hug had been somewhat awkward though, because she had been pregnant with Sasuke at the time.

Not sure what Itachi could possibly be laughing over, Sakura walked to stand next to him. She saw in his hands the stuffed animal, and looked up at him in bewilderment. Seeing her confusion, Itachi decided to elaborate. "My cousin used to tell me I was named after this toy." He told her softly. She smiled, reaching up to kiss him, but being not nearly as tall as he was, had to settle for his chin.

"I hope you are not upset that I did this without talking to you about it, but with you gone, and Tsunade only allowing a few hours of my time spent in the hospital, I had to do something. I was not sure if this was okay, so I went to Sasuke, and he told me I should go with it. He has been staying in his old room, and I do not think he wants to leave until things with Ino are more official-

She was quickly cut off by the feel of his lips covering hers. Her heart jumped up into her throat with surprise; she had forgotten how it felt every time Itachi kissed her. When he was sure she was too distracted to ramble on again, he lifted his mouth away.

"You talk too much." His voice rumbled from deep within his chest. She ignored his comment, searching for his lips again, needing more of him.

Pleased, he let her find his mouth, longing to feel every part of her against him. Her tongue almost cautiously sought his, running along the seam of his lips in a smooth stroke. His mouth slowly parted, letting Sakura have the dominance for once. There was a jolt of pleasure that rocked through his entire body the instant he felt her wet appendage touch tips with his.

At that moment, all thought was lost, and he took control. Itachi swept his tongue along the lining of her hot, moist mouth, drinking in her breath and small groans as he did so. She tasted even more sweet than last time he had kissed her like he was, with the distinct flavors of vanilla and sugar mixed in her saliva.

His had reached up to fist into her hair, which he realized was much longer than last time he had seen her. Waves of pink locks cascaded down to her shoulders, where it had once been only to her chin. An image of Sakura with longer hair flashed in his mind, and he liked the thought very much. He would have to be sure she grew it out more.

Sakura blindly ran her hands over his muscular body, re-familiarizing herself with his every inch of pale, beautiful skin. She had not even begun to understand how much she had missed him, at least not until now, when he was back in her arms. Sakura mewled softly as his tongue swirled around hers, tying it in slippery, heated knots. Panting, he slowly pulled away, sucking on her swelling lips as he did so. She looked up at him happily, glad to have him home, where he belonged.

Resting his cool forehead on hers, his breath evened, and they said nothing, listening only to the small breeze and the market place off in the distance. Sakura looked up into his stunning, dark eyes, picking out the barely perceivable shades of grey, and knew one, simple thing. At that same moment, while he looked right on back into her bright, viridian orbs, he knew it too.

They were going to spend the rest of their lives together.

_The End_

**AN: Thus the ending to another fic. I was going to write an epilogue, and I am sorry to anyone who was looking forward to that, but I am content where I ended this. I wanted to finish this one before continuing to work on **_**The Best Medicine**_**. I may not be able to update for a while though, because I am heading to Hawaii to visit some old friends, and I may not get back for a week at least. I will work on it during the flight though.**

**Thank you everyone who has read through this fic. I am very proud with it, and am glad that people have liked it as much as they have. It has to be one of my most random stories to come up with yet, because I thought of it sitting in class after taking an English exam. Strange, but that is how my obsessive mind works.**


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